The Phoenix's Guardian
by Hokuto Ulrik
Summary: After his world was bathed in nuclear hell-fire, Talisman Stryke awakes to find himself in a new world and de-aged to a teenager. On his first night in this world he finds a girl about to take her life. Can he help her move past the traumas and betrayals that drove her so deep into despair? References to Suicide.
1. Chapter 1

I awoke with a start in bed, which was strange considering that I had just been at a restaurant eating lunch when a nuclear warhead exploded.

 _A wave of heat._

 _Then…._

 _Nothingness._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _I drifted in that nothingness for who knows how long. As I drifted, knowledge and memories were downloaded into my memory._

 _Wielding a massive six section sword against monsters of all types._

 _Casting spells using small glowing orbs the size of marbles._

 _The feeling of using weapons both familiar and alien._

 _Facing down men who fancied themselves gods._

 _Memories of fighting on hostile worlds against insurmountable odds._

 _Then, there was a feeling of intense pain as a green substance was infused into my body, making me stronger, faster, and more resilient._

Sitting up, I looked around the room. Off to one side there was a desk with a computer and a couple of manilla envelopes sitting on it. On the other side of the room was a tall five drawer dresser, a closet door and an electric guitar sitting on a stand next to an amp.

Carefully getting up, I walked over to the desk. Picking up the envelopes, I sat down in the chair before opening the first one.

The first envelope contained what were apparently my identity papers.

' _Talisman Stryke huh? Not to bad as far as names go.'_ I thought as I read. Looking at some of the other paperwork, I discovered that I was a teenager again, currently seventeen. _'So 30 going on 17. I'm all for second chances, but having to do high school again is going to suck.'_

Another set of forms revealed that I was an emancipated minor, having been in the foster care system since shortly after birth, I had shown that I was responsible enough to strike out on my own early, though I did have to finish high school. Again.

' _Well this is going to be a bother.'_ I thought as I fired up my computer while pulling out more information, such as my driver's license, bank information, information on a trust that was set up after my parents died in a fire while out for the evening. I also discovered that due to not having any relatives, I was placed into the foster care system. Despite being bounced between different families for one reason or another, my history showed a well adjusted young adult that was capable of being independent. I also found my employment information for the job I would be starting at a small book store in town this coming weekend.

The other folder was a welcome packet that had been provided for my new school, Canterlot High.

' _That is a horrible pun. But new world, new history.'_ I thought as my computer loaded. Locating and pulling up the web browser, I looked for a search engine. Thankfully, even though I was in a new world, Google was still Google.

I quickly began searching subjects like world history and current events, as well as searching for my new school. One link cause me to groan. Pulling it up, I was brought to the school's MyStable page.

Looking at the title of the page made my eye twitch, so I scrolled through the posts.

Most were normal posts for the school regarding past and upcoming events, but what caught my eye was a video post from a student on the page from an event labeled "Battle of the Bands".

I watched the video, shot from a cell phone judging from the movement and quality of the video, and was intrigued. Either it was a very well done piece of special effects/video editing or magic was a thing at the school.

' _Well this might make things more interesting.'_ I thought as I switched tabs to the history searches.

Fortunately, other than the names, world events seemed to basically line up with my old world. Wars, disasters, and technology advancement were almost completely parallel with my world's history.

' _That is a relief. At least I won't make a complete fool of myself.'_

Getting up from the computer, I began to check out my new house.

Kitchen, living room, dining room, and bathroom were pretty well standard and stocked.

The surprise was in my walk in closet. Looking around, I discovered a recess that when pressed, caused a hidden panel to open revealing a set of stairs.

Hitting a light switch, i descended the stairs.

Reaching the bottom, my jaw dropped.

In front of me was an armory that any special operations team would have killed to have.

Rifles and handguns of all calibers. Shotguns that were pump action, semi and fully automatic. Grenade launchers, body armour, and enough ammunition to take down a small country were laid out in front of me.

One section caught my eye though.

Hanging on the wall was the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII as well as bracers and what seemed like every piece of Materia in the game.

' _Well, that makes things even more interesting. At least it there are magical threats, I can assist in containing it.'_ I thought before heading back upstairs, turning off the lights and securing the panel as I exited the hidden basement.

Heading to the bathroom, I began to get ready to get the day started. Looking in the mirror, I noticed that my eyes were glowing.

' _Should have expected that after seeing all that Materia and the Buster Sword.'_ I thought as I pulled my hair out of the braid it was in, letting the long hair fall free, hitting just above my waist.

Stepping into the shower, I began the process of washing the nearly two and a half feet of hair. A bit of a pain, but I like the long hair.

' _I have got to be in shock or something. Yesterday I was a thirty year old guy just grabbing a bite to eat and now I am back to being a teenager. Should be freaking out at least a little bit about this, military bearing be damned.'_ I thought.

Maybe I was just so apathetic to the world that leaving it didn't really affect me.

' _Truthfully, I kind of wished for something like this. A new start in a world that wasn't as messed up as mine. As far as I can tell from the little bit of research I did, terrorism really isn't a problem here. It is more localized and the groups are put down quickly instead of being allowed to fester like we did.'_

Finishing my shower, I brushed and dried my hair before braiding it.

I had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door. Raising an eyebrow, I headed to the door.

Opening it, I saw an older woman with reddish brown hair and grey skin in a police uniform.

"Hi Talisman. How are you doing today?" She asked with a smile.

"Doing fine Officer Shield." I replied, moving to the side so she could come in out of the weather.

"I've told you to call me Aegis.' She said rolling her eyes as she removed her jacket.

"Well forgive me for having respect for an officer of the law." I said with my own eye roll as I shut the door.

Aegis laughed as she sat down.

From the files I was given, Aegis Shield was assigned as my case officer that would stop by periodically to do welfare checks. Whether or not she knew about the arsenal below our feet, I did not know and I was not saying a word.

Discretion is the better part of valor after all.

"So ready to start classes next month?" She asked.

"As ready as I can be. I was going to go out and pick a route since I am walking at the moment." I replied.

"How about this? I can show you the quickest route and we can grab something to eat." Aegis said.

I thought about it for a moment. "Sure. You buying?" I asked.

Aegis laughed. "Sure. Let's go."

Soon enough we were on the road, crawling along due to the snow that had fallen during the previous night.

"This is so going to suck walking in. Would you mind taking me car shopping next time you are off shift?" I asked Aegis from the passenger seat of her patrol car.

"Actually, I had gotten off shift before I came over. So after we get something to eat, I can take you to one of the better dealerships. A friend of mine is a salesman. Might be able to get you a better deal." Aegis replied.

I looked at her with wide eyes.

"Thank you. You've been a big help since I came here." I said after a moment.

"Not a big deal for me. I can see that you have a good head on your shoulders and you won't abuse the privilege. Plus, I know that you haven't had it easy in life. So long as you do something productive, I will help you all I can." She said.

"Still, thank you. It means a lot." I replied.

"Hey what are friends for?" She asked with a smile.

I smiled back as we pulled up to the school.

It was a nice building as far as schools go. Nice rotunda in the center with two twin story wings on either side of it. In front of the main entrance was a statue of a mustang, rearing up on its hind legs.

"Looks like a nice place." I said after a moment.

"Yeah it is. Went there myself before I went to Canterlot U to get my psychology degree." Aegis replied.

"So that would explain why a cop is my case-worker." I said with a smirk.

"That and I am good with teenagers. Something that a lot of the case-workers aren't too strong with. Most of the time by the point that teenagers get to them, a lot of them are either too new to handle a willful almost adult or just to burnt out to care. I volunteer to help out when I can. Take the load off on the easier cases." Aegis explained as she pulled away from the curb.

Soon enough we had pulled up to a hibachi restaurant.

Once inside we ordered our food and sat down Aegis spoke up.

"So seriously, how are you handling things?"

I shrugged. "It's day to day really. I know what I need to do and I was going to be at this point in about a year anyways. I will be fine. Most people are when they hit adulthood." I said in reply.

Aegis nodded. "Feel free to give me a call if you need anything, even if it is just to chat." She said.

"I will." I said as our food arrived. Soon enough our discussion turned to my upcoming vehicle purchase.

Later that evening, I pulled up to my house in my newly purchased SUV. While not the most fuel efficient, it did have a large cargo capacity, and most importantly four wheel drive and a good ground clearance. Thankfully I had enough in the bank to purchase it out right rather than having to take out a loan for it and still have plenty left over. Even the house was mine out right.

Grabbing a few clothing and entertainment purchases I had made, I went inside and dropped them off. Checking the time, I saw it was still early so I decided to take a drive and get a feel for the town I was now living in.

The sun had set a while ago. I was driving slowly through the streets as snow began to fall again. Coming up to a bridge over the Canter River, I saw a girl with red and yellow hair standing by the guardrail on the footpath next to the bridge.

' _What a minute. Is she on the_ outside _of the railing?'_ I thought to myself as I pulled over. Parking the truck and turning on the hazards, I got out and slowly made my way over to the girl.

"Cold out tonight." I said as I leaned against the railing.

"Go away." She said, her voice strained with hurt.

"Not gonna happen. Not when you're hurtin' something fierce." I replied.

"How do you know what I'm feeling?"

"Well the fact that you are on the wrong side of the railing is a big clue. That and I don't see a rope around your ankles, so I doubt that you are out here for a little late night winter bungee jumping." I replied, eliciting a small giggle from the girl.

"You're not going to leave are you?" She sighed after a moment.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p' sound. "Not until you are on this side of the railing and some place safe."

She shook her head ruefully. "Sad that a stranger cares more about me than my own friends did." She said quietly, almost lost to the wind.

"Sounds like they must not be some very good friends then. Because in my experience, friends don't push you to the point where you wind up making the decision to make a very permanent solution to a temporary problem." I replied.

"Doesn't look very temporary from where I am."

I sighed. "It never does. I know, I've been that low before. But I had good people around me who cared enough to help. If you would like, I can be that person for you." I replied.

She turned her head, showing her sapphire eyes, full of pain and hurt. "You'd do that for me? Someone who you don't even know? Know the things that I have done?"

I gave a sad smile. "We all do bad things darlin'. But as long as they are in the past and you don't plan on going back to those ways then they should stay buried." I replied. "Now, do you want to come off that ledge and maybe have a cup of tea with this old wolf?" I asked, holding my hand out to her.

Slowly, her hand came off of the railing and settled into mine. I could feel the chill on her skin, making me look at her clothing. "Come on darlin', we need to get you somewhere warm. Just looking at you makes me cold." I said as I helped her over the railing.

She blinked, as if just noticing the cold and snow before nodding once her feet were solidly on the sidewalk.

"Come on. Let's get you inside." I said as I lead her to my truck.

After helping her in and then climbing in myself, I spoke up.

"The name's Talisman Stryke by the way." I said as I put the truck into gear and pulled away from the bridge, turning off my flashers.

"Sunset Shimmer." She replied as she held her hands in front of the vents.

"Pleased to meet you Sunset." I replied as I drove towards my house.


	2. Chapter 2

"Leave your boots and coat here. There is a blanket on the couch." I said to Sunset as we entered the house. "I'll go put the kettle on."

Sunset nodded and headed to the couch, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill that had settled on her.

"Thanks." She murmured as she walked past.

Shortly I brought out a tray with a steaming kettle, a pair of mugs, and a selection of tea bags.

Sunset silently took a green tea while I dropped a cinnamon apple spice into mine before pouring the kettle into both of our mugs.

We sat in silence as the tea steeped, me not wanting to pressure the girl into talking and Sunset still working up the nerve to talk.

Shortly we removed the tea bags and had added sugar and honey to our drinks.

"I guess you want to hear why I was on that bridge, huh?" She said after taking a bracing sip of tea.

I nodded. "Just tell me what you feel comfortable sharing. I won't press unless I need clarification. But I have a feeling that it would be better for you to start at the beginning." I said.

A couple of hours later, Sunset had finished her story leading up to the events that lead her to the bridge.

"So unicorn pony from a mirror dimension huh?" I said after a moment.

"That is what you focus on first?" Sunset asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I just figured focusing on something else could take your mind off of things for a minute. So are you a quadruped or an anthro on the other side of the mirror?" I replied.

Sunset blinked. "We are anthropomorphic on the other side. Why?"

"Well, I figure eventually, you will want to go home, at least to settle things with the Princess and I figured that you would want someone to go with you, but since your 'friends', and I currently use that term loosely, have counterparts on the other side, it would be confusing as hell if they were to go with you." I replied as I pulled up the Anon-a-miss page on my tablet. "Well, this is going to cause some hell. You said one of your friends has rainbow colored hair?" I asked.

"Yes. That would be Rainbow Dash. Why?" Sunset asked.

I showed her the screen and the latest post. The two girls had hoodies on with the hoods up, but you could see a lock of rainbow colored hair poking out.

"Seems that your friend was experimenting and got caught in the act. Funny thing is, the picture was posted about fifteen minutes ago." I said pointing to the time stamp.

Sunset growled in frustration.

"Which brings me to a couple of questions I have. First, your friend Applejack, the post about her nickname popped up after the first sleepover right? When her sister called and said it when the phone was on speaker right?"

Sunset nodded.

"And the pictures showed up after the second sleepover. Do you have a lock code or something on your phone?"

"No I don't." Sunset replied.

"Need to teach you some information security then. You said Rarity's sister was home right?" I asked.

"Yes, but…" Sunset started to reply before realization set in. "But why? Why would they do something like this? Even when I was the Queen Bitch of the school, I never messed with them."

"Probably the fact that the girls have been spending more time with you. They probably feel like they are being replaced. That and the whole 'Battle of the Bands' thing. They might have been influenced, but the hostility was all them. I'm not sure how Equestrians are, but humans at their core can be some petty, jealous fools. Not all the time, but in the right circumstances, a few people can cause a group to do some pretty evil things." I replied.

"I've noticed that in History class." Sunset replied. "But what can we do about it?"

I closed the MyStable app and went to the browser. A quick search and I smiled.

"Well, considering that this falls into the territory of cyberbullying and it would appear that there are laws against it, I am going to call in a favor." I said as I pulled out my cell phone and opened the text messager.

' _Aegis, you awake?'_ I sent.

' _Yeah, sitting in my patrol car, trying to stay warm. What's up?'_

' _Do you know anyone in the cyber crimes division?'_

' _I do actually. Why?'_

' _Do you have a MyStable account?'_

' _Yeah…'_

' _Look up the user Anon-a-miss.'_

I smiled at Sunset while I waited for Aegis to reply.

"So what are we waiting on?" Sunset asked.

"I have a friend that is a police officer. She happens to know someone in CPD's Cyber Crimes division. I pointed her in the direction of the Anon-a-miss profile." I replied as my phone went off.

' _How did you come across this?'_

' _I was out driving to get the lay of the land when I found a girl on the bridge over Canter River. I was able to talk her back over the railing and brought her to my place to warm up and talk. I was able to get the full story from her. The most recent post was made while we were talking and she never once pulled out her phone.'_

' _I see. I will be getting in touch with my buddy. This is just sickening. How is your new friend?'_

' _Considering the whole school has turned against her? About as well as you could figure. I'm going to let her crash in the spare room since it is late. We can do more in the morning once she has gotten some rest.'_

' _Understood. You two have a good night. I will swing by in the morning to talk to you both.'_

' _Got it. See you then and try to stay warm.'_

I smiled at Sunset again. "Cyber crimes is going to be engaged. They can get the same information I can get, but theirs would be admissible in court if it comes down to it."

"Would it get that far?" Sunset asked nervously.

I shrugged. "Maybe. Depends upon if the ones behind it decide to cut their losses and fess up. The simple fact that they drove you to the point of being on that bridge means that if you had jumped, they would most likely be charged with manslaughter at the least and murder at the worst." I replied.

Sunset's eyes widened.

"Yup. It is just like when a getaway driver gets charged with murder even if they didn't pull the trigger. They assisted in the commission of the crime. Same with bullying. There have probably been to many kids that have killed themselves because of bullying that they had to create laws that would punish the bullies." I said.

"How do you know so much about this?" She asked.

I sighed. "Well, to be honest you aren't the only one from another world. Though I wasn't brought here by choice." I said.

"How so?" Sunset inquired.

"Well, it's not like I chose to be in the immediate vicinity of a thermonuclear explosion. Kinda puts a dampener on a guy's day." I replied.

Sunset stared at me with wide eyes.

I shrugged. "I was kind of apathetic to the world in general. Just jaded I guess. Maybe coming here will restore my faith in humanity." I paused for a moment. "Though with the issues going on at CHS, I doubt that very much."

"There is no way that someone can be that jaded with the world that getting nuked wouldn't phase them." Sunset replied when she found her voice.

"I was in the Army for ten years. Spent six of those years fighting insurgents. Doing that for so long makes you numb and after seeing the absolute worst of humanity, fighting them and losing friends, you could really care less if the world burned or not. Especially when you come home to protests outside your base, and people, the people that you fought for, the people you fought to protect, spitting on you and saying that you should die, that some deity would be happy you died. It really makes you not really give a damn." I said, not realizing that my eyes had started glowing brighter and the pupils had gone to slits.

"What are you?" Sunset asked warily.

I sighed. "When I was sent here, I was given abilities. Some of those abilities required that I be 'enhanced'. I was given, and this is a best guess, the same enhancements of a SOLDIER 1st Class of the Shinra Electric Power Company Army. And yes I do realize it is odd for a power company to have an army, but Shinra basically ran the entire world that these abilities come from. But just because I have powers, doesn't mean I am a danger."

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked.

I nodded. "Positive. Well, unless someone I care about is in danger, then I will do those horrible things that I was trained to do." I said, locking eyes with her.

"Am I one of those people?" She asked quietly.

I smiled. "You are quickly becoming one."

"Why?" Sunset asked.

I sat back and thought for a moment. "Probably because you need someone to have your back, and something is telling me to help you. An instinct if you will." I replied finally.

"So, you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" She asked.

I nodded. "I am." I said as I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. "Right now, I see a young woman who is hurting something awful and has no one to turn to. I can't stand by and do nothing if there is something I can do, even if it is just lending an ear for you to talk off or a shoulder to cry on. Just that can go a long way to helping a person, or pony in your case." I finished with a smirk, eliciting a giggle from Sunset as I moved to sit on the couch next to her.

"So what about when I go back to school?" Sunset asked quietly.

"I will be starting at CHS after the holidays. I can go with you on Monday and talk to the principals to see if I can accompany you for the last week of classes. Maybe help you deal with the whispers." I said.

Sunset gave me a watery smile.

"Thank you." She said before giving me a hug that I carefully returned.

"You're welcome. Now, I think we should be getting some shut eye. You can use the spare bedroom. Let me grab you something to sleep in." I said after I pulled away from the young woman.

Going to my room, I quickly grabbed a t-shirt and a pair basketball shorts before heading back out to the living room.

"Might be a bit big on you, but they should do for tonight." I said.

Sunset nodded her thanks and headed to the bathroom to shower and change.

I busied myself by cleaning up the tea service. Once that was done, I went to all the doors and ensured that they were locked before heading to my room where I quickly changed into my sleepwear.

Since Sunset was still in the shower, I took the time to do some more reading up on my new world, committing the new names and dates to memory.

Soon the shower stopped and shortly afterwards, I heard Sunset speak up from behind me.

"Thank you for letting me stay here Talisman." She said.

"It's no big deal." I replied before turning around, though once I did, my breathe caught in my throat.

Standing in the doorway to my room was Sunset, wearing just the t-shirt I gave her, which nearly reached her knees, the shirts having been a double extra large to accommodate my broader shoulders and chest and still have comfort, her damp hair weighing down her normal wavy locks.

She giggled a bit a my expense, snapping me out of my stupor.

"Right. Guest bedroom is this way." I said as I stood up and guided exited the room.

After showing Sunset to the room and bidding her goodnight, I returned to my room. Sitting in the glow of the monitor, I stared off into space.

' _Damn, this has gotten complicated. Alien from a mirror reality that just currently looks human is dealing with some pretty heavy emotional shit and I just have to start falling for her. Sweet merciful Artemis, I am an idiot.'_ I thought, before shutting down my computer and climbing into bed.

I lay in bed not sleeping for a couple of hours, just pondering the change in circumstances. Soon I heard shuffling feet and sniffling coming down the hall.

I cracked open my eyes and saw Sunset enter the room.

"T-Talisman, can I stay in here? I don't know if I can be alone tonight." She whispered.

"Nightmares?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said simply.

I moved over on the bed and flipped the covers back, patting the mattress. She lay down next to me and pulled the blankets over her.

I lay on my back, hands under my head. A couple of minutes later I felt her move and rest her head on my chest. Rolling my eyes, I moved my arm down and wrapped it around her.

Soon, both of us were in the realm of Morpheus until the light of dawn.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunset and I leaned back into the seats of my truck in the parking lot of the Canterlot Police Department as the vehicle warmed up.

"That was exhausting." Sunset said after moment.

"I can imagine. But this should get this whole mess resolved." I replied as I put the vehicle into gear and carefully made my way out onto the slushy roads.

"Hopefully." Sunset replied, eyes closed as she leaned her head back.

"So what do you want to do know?" I asked.

Sunset hummed for a moment before replying.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that despite your height and broader shoulders, you look quite androgynous." She said finally, a sly smile on her face.

As we stopped at a red light, I turned to look at her.

"You just want to see me in a skirt don't you?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Guilty." She said with a teasing smile.

I laughed, glad that she had recovered enough to make such jokes in good humor. However my response threw her off balance.

"Sure, why not. Been awhile since I was able to indulge in some tasteful crossdressing." I replied, laughing at her sputtered response.

"Seriously? I was just joking." Sunset replied when she calmed down.

I shrugged. "I have done it before. I do enjoy being able to do it. Just usually never went out in it. Knew too many people in the area and when I was in the Army, we had this thing called 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' which was basically a legal way for the government to discriminate against LGBT personel. It got repealed about a year before I got out, but the military is a very macho environment. Hell, they just started allowing females into main line combat positions a couple of years ago." I said.

"Really? That is a bunch of horse apples." Sunset replied.

I shrugged. "It happens when a society is patriarchal. Hell, women have only been allowed to serve in the military for about a century in modern times." I explained.

"Makes sense I guess. Equestria is matriarchal due to the skewed gender ratios. Mares out number stallions four or five to one in some places." Sunset said.

"So I am guessing monogamy is the exception not the rule there?" I inquired as I turned towards the mall.

Sunset nodded. "We still have gender equality though. And most ponies tend to be bisexual as well, some preferring one or the other as their primary partner."

I nodded my understanding. "I can understand that. I am bi myself, preferring women as a permanent partner while having the occasional romp in the sheets with men."

"Oh, why is that?" Sunset asked.

"Women are nicer to cuddle with." I said with a smirk as we pulled into the mall. "Well, ready to use me as your dress up doll?" I asked

Sunset laughed as we got out of the vehicle.

Soon we were in the first store for women's clothing. The clerk gave us an incredulous stare when Sunset explained that we were there for me.

"Not a pervert. I find women's clothing to be more comfortable than men's and my friend here needs a pick me up after some heavy emotional stuff. That and you will get a commission if we can get some good outfits." I explained, appealing to her bottom line.

Ah, greed. One of the few vices that you can actually make work for you. Lust works as well, but giving that my current age was about fifteen less than the clerks, it wasn't something available to use. Nor would I want to.

Soon enough, my measurements were taken and Sunset whistled.

"42-34-40. Damn you got a backside." She said. "Is it bad I am a little bit jealous?"

I laughed. "Not really. But keep in mind if I was a female and proportional, I would be somewhere around double D cup size. That would be painful at times "

"True." Sunset said as we browsed the racks of clothing.

Soon enough I was in the dressing room with a couple armloads of clothes.

The next half hour was spent trying on and modeling the various outfits, from jeans and blouses to skirts and sweaters, to dresses and sleepwear that we could locate in my size.

"Okay, this just isn't fair. How the hell can you pull off those clothes better than I can?" Sunset asked as we headed for the register with the keepers of the lot.

I smirked as I replied in falsetto, "Oh come on honey, just admit it. You know I look good."

Sunset blushed and stammered before lightly punching my shoulder. "Prat." She said, causing me to laugh.

After that was the lingerie store, though I didn't model any of it for her, teasingly saying that we weren't quite at the point in our relationship, earning another blush from the young woman.

Then we went for shoes, a bit of a task given my shoe size. After shoes, we looked at jewelry.

"Are you sure about this?" Sunset asked. "You have spent quite a bit of money already."

I shrugged as I browsed the cases. "My parents were well off when they died and they had rather large life insurance policies. Add to the fact my trust has been gaining interest for sixteen years with no one touching it, I can probably go for a Master's degree before having to worry about finding work." I replied.

Soon a nice set of silver and diamond earrings, silver necklace and silver bracelet, and a nice watch made their way into our bags.

Then we spent a good half hour getting makeup. The clerk was having the time of her life as she helped both of us get appropriate choices that complemented our skin tones.

Heading back to the parking lot, we were soon at my truck, purchases in the back seats.

"That was a lot of fun." Sunset replied. "Thank you. I needed something to pick me up."

I smiled. "Not a problem Sunny. I don't mind at all. Wonder what kind of chaos I could cause if I show up on the first day wearing one of the outfits we picked out."

Sunset laughed. "That I would pay to see."

I laughed. "I might just do it then. Just to see you smile. So where do you live? I can drop you off." I said.

Sunset's expression went from happy to nervous in a flash.

I looked at her with concern. "You do have someplace to live right? Sunset?"

"I can walk. You don't have to go to all the trouble…" She started before I interrupted.

"Sunset," I began as I took her hand. "You do have someplace to live right?"

She nodded.

"Is it safe?" I asked quietly.

She hesitated before nodding, slight but still there.

"Right then. We are going to get your stuff and you are taking the spare bedroom." I replied, cutting off her argument by adding, "No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from and whether they are going to have a safe place to sleep."

Sunset sighed before giving me directions to where she lived

Soon enough we were at an abandoned factory. We quickly got out and went inside.

I sighed as we entered what was probably the foreman's office when the place was still in use

An old mattress with thin sheets sat on the floor with only a few clothes and personal effects on a couple of crates.

It didn't take us long to pack up everything and leave.

"How long have you been there?" I asked as we headed back to my, now our, house.

"About four years. I stayed in the school for a while when I first got here, but they installed a new security system so I had to vacate. I brought some gold coins and gems with me when I can through the portal as well as some of my clothes, but I didn't want to arouse suspicion by selling a whole lot at once." Sunset replied.

"Well, now you have a place to live with warm water, central heating and air, and a well stocked pantry." I said.

Sunset smiled. "Thank you Talisman. I can't tell you what this means to me. I would help with groceries, but I can't exactly get a job."

I thought for a moment as I navigated around an accident on the road. "Well given that your principals seem to be adept at keeping things out of the media, they probably have a contact or two that can get you set up with an identity that is legitimate so you can get a job and go to college." I said after a moment. "I have the principal's email in some of the paperwork I have for the school. I can reach out to her." I added.

"Couldn't hurt. But both Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna have been at a conference for the past couple of weeks. That is probably why this Anon-a-miss situation has gotten so bad and no one has done anything." Sunset replied.

Soon enough, we pulled into the driveway and unloaded our bags.

"Laundry room is in there." I said gesturing to the door. "That way if you want to wash some of your things before you put them away."

Sunset nodded as she went to her new room to unpack.

I headed to my room and began to unpack my new feminine clothing. I cracked a smile as I removed tags and folded and hung up the clothing. Once that was done I pulled out the paperwork for Canterlot High. Locating Principal Celestia's email, I opened the email app on my phone and sent her a message detailing what had been going on and how I was helping Sunset and inquiring if she could help Sunset establish her identity more firmly.

Email sent, I went to the kitchen and started on dinner, the pair of us not having eaten since breakfast.

Soon, the smell of stir fry attracted Sunset into the kitchen.

"So you can cook too?" She asked as she leaned against the door frame.

"Sure can." I replied as I added chicken breast to the pan. "Saves me money and I can impress my friends." I said giving her a smile before turning back to the stove as she located the plates and silverware.

As I was plating up the meal, my phone went off. Setting the plates on the table, I unlocked my phone and saw that Celestia had responded to my email already.

"So Celestia wants to meet with us as soon as possible. Should I tell her to come by tonight?" I informed Sunset.

"Sure. It would be better to get this handled as soon as possible." She replied.

I nodded and sent a quick reply to the message with my address and an invitation to come by that evening. We then tucked into our meal.

After dinner, Sunset insisted that I model a few of the complete outfits for her while we waited for the principals. Rolling my eyes, I headed to my room and pulled out the outfits.

I spent the next half hour parading through the living room, much to Sunset's amusement.

I had just put the kettle on for tea when the doorbell rang.

I headed to the door and upon opening it, I was met with the sight of a tall leggy woman with pastel colored hair and pale white skin and a shorter blue skinned woman with two tone blue hair.

"Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna I presume?" I asked.

The taller of the two blinked a couple of times before responding.

"Yes, I am Principal Celestia and this is my sister and co-administrator Vice-Principal Luna. Talisman Stryke, correct?" The now identified Celestia said.

I nodded. "Please come in. I had just put the kettle on so we can have a cuppa while we talk." I said just as a whistle sounded in the kitchen. "Please, head to the living room while I get everything." I added before heading to the kitchen.

In short order I was in the living room, passing out mugs and allowing everyone to make their tea to their tastes.

"So, I am to understand you had questions regarding Sunset's legal status?" Celestia said after a moment.

I nodded. "Given the fact that you have been able to keep the media and certain undesirable elements of the government from swooping down on your school, I figured that you must either have a contact high up in the government or you yourself are higher in the government rather than some lowly school administrator. I figured that you would be the person to talk to about getting her a legal identity, that way if she makes the choice to stay in this world that she can live a good life."

Celestia nodded. "Then it is a good thing that I have already taken care of the necessary paperwork. I was going to wait until graduation, but it seems that waiting won't do." She said.

Sunset's and my eyes widened. It seems that Celestia is the master of the long game.

"Took quite the chance then, given how Sunset was when she first showed up in this world then." I replied with a small smile at the red and gold haired girl next to me.

"I hoped and rightly so, that she would find her way." Celestia said with a knowing smile.

"Yes, well that is all well and good. But how are we going to handle this Anon-a-miss situation?" Luna asked.

"Well on that front, I contacted the CPD's Cybercrimes Division through a contact my case worker has. We have our suspicions, but we did not give them a name on the off chance that we are wrong." I replied.

"And who do you think it is?" Luna inquired as she took a sip of her tea.

Sunset spoke up. "Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle we are more certain on after looking at some events more closely and since the three of them are always together, Scootaloo might at least be knowledgeable about the whole thing."

Before either administrator could respond, there was a hard triple knock at the door.

Quickly going to the door, I opened it to find Aegis standing outside, looking emotionally drained, eyes puffy and red.

"Aegis, come in. What's going on?" I asked as I took her jacket and led her to the living room.

"I just left the scene of an attempted suicide and before that I was at the scene of a successful one." She said, her voice rough and hollow. "They were students at CHS and both girls were outed by Anon-a-miss a few hours ago. The one who died had very strict religious parents who took great offense to their daughter being a lesbian. She jumped from a thirty story window. Her girlfriend tried slitting her wrists. Her parents got to her and got her to the hospital in time."

Damn it all to hell. Save one life and still a life is lost. Guess a balance must be kept.

Sunset gasped, her hand in front of her mouth, tears in her eyes.

I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her.

"Have they been able to track down the users behind Anon-a-miss?" I asked.

"They have and currently the team handling it are getting warrants to pick them up. I think that Sunset should avoid going to school for a few days, just to be safe." Aegis replied.

"We can arrange for it. Let your superiors know that we will assist in any way possible." Celestia said.

Aegis nodded. "Thank you. Now if you all will excuse me, I need to go home and hug the ever loving crap out of my girlfriend." She said.

I smiled. "Go on and get out of here then. I'll catch up with you later." I said.

Aegis nodded and stood up, pausing for a moment. "Why the hell are you wearing a skirt?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face.

I chuckled. "It made this one smile." I replied, gesturing to Sunset.

Soon after, Celestia and Luna took their leave as well to prepare for the fallout of this weekend.

"Come on Sunset. Let's get some sleep. We can deal with things in the morning." I said pulling the girl up from the couch and guiding her to her room.

As I lay awake in bed contemplating the events of the past few hours, I heard the door to my room open.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked.

"No. Can I…?" Sunset asked.

I merely flipped the covers back, and she climbed into bed, burying her head in my shoulder and sobbing.

I said nothing and just wrapped my arms around her and ran my fingers through her hair until both of us passed out from exhaustion.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke before Sunset and decided to let her sleep after the emotional night. Heading to the living room, I heard her phone going off in her room.

Going in, I picked up the device and noted the caller, Applejack. Sighing, I answered the phone.

"Sunset's phone."

" _Umm, hi. Who is this?"_ Came the accented reply.

"My name is Talisman. What can I do for you Applejack?" I asked.

" _Well, I was hoping to talk to Sunset."_ The country girl replied.

"Well, currently she is still asleep. Last night was kind of rough with the fallout from the last Anon-a-miss post." I replied.

" _Yeah. I know. I just got home from the police station. I can't believe my little sister would do something so stupid."_ She replied, anger in her tone.

"Did she say why they did it?" I asked.

" _Apparently they were jealous that we were spending so much time with Sunset and instead of coming to us, they went and did this. How did you know it was my sister and her friends?"_ She replied.

"Well Saturday evening, I came across Sunset on the Canter River bridge and was able to talk her back over the railing. After I brought her to my place so she could get warm, she told me everything that has happened in the last few years, up to when this mess started. I just asked a few questions and was able to put a few things together that only someone with an outside perspective would be able to see." I replied.

Applejack sighed. _"We really messed up big time didn't we?"_ She said after a moment.

"Yeah, all of you fucked up big time, and in all honesty, this is going to take more than a simple 'I'm sorry' to fix. You five abandoned her with next to no provocation and never tried to listen to her. You just jumped on the band wagon and threw her under the bus. She might be willing to be civil with you, but being friends again will be a long shot." I replied.

" _That's what I figured. I take it she is staying with you?"_

"Yes. She also won't be coming to school for the rest of the term either. If all five of you can provide an honest heartfelt apology to her in person, I can bring her to meet with you. But it will have to be someplace public and neutral. It will be up to her to accept it or not though. Betrayals like this are hard to reconcile." I replied.

" _I understand. Can I call you to set something up? I doubt Sunset will take our calls."_ She asked, her exhaustion clear in her voice.

"You can. But just so you know I will be telling her you called and that you will be wanting to apologize. Just be prepare for some harsh words from the both of us when we meet." I said.

" _I understand. Thank you."_ She replied.

I gave the young woman my cell number, with the promise that she would keep it to herself and that I would be waiting for her call. Hanging up, I went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

I was just about to go get Sunset when the girl came into the kitchen. I have her a small smile as I set a plate of eggs and a glass of juice in front of her.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"No problem." I said as I sat across from her with my own food and drink.

We ate in silence as I did not want to pressure her into speaking.

"So what are we going to do today?" She asked as we cleared the dishes.

"That is up to you. We can stay in and watch tv, or we can go out and catch a movie or something." I said as we went into the living room.

"I think staying in will be fine right now." She replied as she looked out the window.

I followed her gaze and saw that the snow was falling again, and in large quantities.

"Staying in it is then. By the way, your phone was going off when I woke up and I answered it." I said.

Sunset stiffened. "Who was it?" She asked tersely.

"Applejack. Apparently she had just left the police station. Wanted to apologize." I said as I went to the racks of movies.

"What did you tell her?" She asked.

"That you were sleeping and that you probably wouldn't be in the mood to talk with the right now. I also told her that all five of them had seriously fucked up in regards to you and whatever friendship you guys had. I told her that a simple 'I'm sorry' wasn't going to cut it. I gave her my cell so she can let me know when all of them are ready to make things right with a heartfelt apology in public and in a neutral location and that I would tell you and let you decide if you want to meet with them." I replied as I pulled out a few comedy and cartoon movies.

Sunset was quite, so I turned to look at her. There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. I moved to the couch next to her and pulled her into a hug which she gratefully returned.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"It is no problem Sunset. I won't force you to do something you aren't ready for." I said, rubbing her back.

Sunset squeezed tighter for a moment, before lightening her grip, but still holding the embrace.

I gave her a light kiss on her temple and pulled back. "So which movie do you want to watch first?" I asked.

Sunset turned to look, the gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell Princess Twilight what was going on, she has got to be worried sick!" She said before running to her room and returning with a journal with a yin-yang esque sun on it. She opened to it a blank page and began writing.

I watched her in amusement seeing her eyes light up as she wrote about the events of the last few days.

"Sorry, I needed to let her know." She said with a blush.

I shook my head. "It's okay. She is one of the few people that have had your back through this. I know she would have been here if her duties allowed." I said as she closed the messenger journal. "Pick a movie while I make some popcorn." I added as I stood up.

We had just finished our first movie when Sunset's journal lit up and started buzzing.

"How does it do that? It took them something like twenty years to figure out how to do that with cellphones." I said, looking at the book.

"No idea. Princess Celestia had them made, there are some things that Equestria has that are similar to the modern technology of this world." Sunset replied as she read the latest entry for the youngest princess before gasping, her eye wide.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sh...she's coming through the portal." She replied.

"When?"

"About twenty minutes from now." Sunset answered with a nervous laugh.

"Well, get changed then. We might be able to stop her from murdering someone." I replied, hurrying to my room.

Stepping into my closet, I looked between the two sides of clothes. On one hand, my male clothes would give me more mobility, but on the other, I kind of liked that I could crossdress here and not get anything other than a couple of funny looks compared to the insults I could get back on my old world.

Making my decision I grabbed the a skirt, blouse, cardigan, and tights from the right side of the closet and quickly dressed before opening the panel that led to my armory.

Quickly turning on the lights and descending the steps, I moved to the section with my materia and bracers.

Pulling on a pair of eight slot bracers, with the slots split into pairs, I opened the case with the materia, letting the light of the glowing orbs play over my face.

Quickly finding the Fire, Ice, Thunder, and Demi orbs, I slotted them in pairing them with Alls on my right wrist. On my left, I slotted a Cure, Restore, Silence, Slow, Barrier, M-Barrier and a pair of red materia that gave songs of acceptance to me when I ran my fingers over them.

Magic now singing at my wrists, I moved to the Fusion blade, and focused my energy into the blade, causing it to disappear in motes of Mako, now keyed to me and ready to summon when it is needed.

Overkill, probably is for this, but if magic is going to get involved, then it is best to be prepared.

I quickly headed back upstairs and closed the hidden panel. I left my room and met Sunset in the living room.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah." Sunset replied as we headed out to my truck.

We pulled up to CHS just in time to see someone exit the portal in the statue in front of the school.

"That her?" I asked.

"Yes. At least we were able to make it before she caused a scene." Sunset replied as we jumped out of the truck.

We quickly made our way towards the young woman.

"Princess Twilight!" Sunset called out.

Twilight turned and her expression shifted from anger to relief then to happiness as she ran to Sunset and gave her a hug.

"Sunset! I'm so glad that you are okay!" She said as she embraced the other woman.

"Thanks to Talisman here I am." Sunset replied, gesturing to me.

I gave a small wave. "Hello Princess." I greeted.

"Thank you so much for helping Sunset. I would have come sooner but I was bogged down with paperwork." Twilight said.

"Not a problem. I'm just glad I was in time to make a difference." I replied.

Then a voice rang out. "Sunset! Twilight! New person!"

I snapped off a trio of Barriers and was rewarded with a solid 'Thunk!' seconds later.

Goddess I love Materia.

'Y'all know this one?" I asked, gesturing to the frizzy haired pinkette laying in the snow.

"Yeah. That is Pinkie Pie." Sunset replied flatly.

I nodded and walked over to the girl and, smoothing my skirt under my legs, carefully squatted down while pushing Mako into my eyes, intensifying their glow.

"Listen, I get that you care about Sunset. But you seriously screwed up with her. You just need to let this lie for a little longer before you apologize for what you did. Understand?" I said, locking her gaze.

"Y...yeah. Sorry, I just got so excited I didn't think." She replied.

I smiled tightly. "Seems to be a lot of that going on these days. When you are ready to apologize, and I want a serious apology mind you, talk to Applejack. She will get in touch with me and I will let Sunset know. If she accepts it is up to her. Not me and not you. Now you need to get back to classes. Twilight, Sunset and I are going back to my place to talk. I can imagine the princess is going to want to have words with all of you later." I said as I stood up.

Turning to the pair of girls behind me, I gestured towards the truck. "Shall we?"


	5. Chapter 5

After stopping to get some food, Twilight, Sunset, and I entered my home.

"This is a nice place." Twilight said.

"Thank you kindly, Twilight. Let me get some plates and we can eat." I said moving to the kitchen while Sunset and Twilight heading for the dining room.

Once we had started eating, Twilight spoke up.

"Talisman, I want to thank you for helping Sunset when she needed it most." She said, causing the aforementioned girl to blush.

I smiled. "It wasn't a problem. I figured that if I could make a difference in at least one life, I am doing pretty good."

Twilight smiled before sighing. "So what are we going to do about the girls? I hate to bring it up, but with you six being the Elements of Harmony on this side of the mirror, any disharmony will unfortunately leave this world vulnerable." She said.

"I spoke with Applejack this morning after she left the police station. I told her in no uncertain terms that all five of them have to give Sunset an honest heartfelt apology, because quite frankly they really messed up." I explained. "Applejack will contact me to set up a meeting in a neutral, public place and we will meet them. But it will be up to Sunset to accept or not."

Twilight nodded. "I hope you can work things out, but I know that this world does not run on Friendship and Harmony like Equestria does." She said morosely.

Sunset and I snorted. "Ain't that the truth. Humans run off of chaos and bloodshed it seems, no matter what world." I said.

Twilight look at me quizzically and I gave her the basic rundown of how I got to this world.

"I see. So what will you do here?" She asked.

"Not sure. Though since I have more money than I will probably be able to spend, I might do something I have always wanted to do." I replied.

"What's that?" Sunset asked.

"Open a bookstore. Not a small one, but also not one of those national chain ones. Someplace that is inviting and cozy, the way a bookstore should be. Maybe have a small local coffee shop in it so people can get coffee and tea while they read their purchases." I replied.

"That sounds awesome. When would you open it?" Sunset asked, eyes alight.

"Probably open after we graduate. That lets me save up more money from interest and my investments that I can use as capital. It would also allow me to not have to get a loan to get the business started." I replied. "Damn bankers can be as bad as the revenue people if you can't make your payments because business is slow."

The girls laughed at that.

Later that evening we took Twilight back to the school.

"Sorry I caused a panic." She said as we stood in front of the statue that contained contained the portal.

Sunset shook her head. "You were worried for your friends Twilight. You were also angry that the situation pushed me to almost make a mistake." She said looking at me with a smile that I returned easily. "We will get things figured out. They hurt me, but the girls were my first real friends. It will take time, but I want to fix things. I miss what we had."

Twilight smiled and gave Sunset a hug. "I'm sure that everything will work out. Just let me know if you have any issues." She said before turning and giving me a hug.

"Thank you for saving her Talisman. I don't know what I would have done if she had succeeded." She said quietly.

"Probably something very emotional that you would regret. But it wasn't a problem for me. I saw someone that was hurting something fierce and couldn't just leave her to that." I said squeezing the princess tightly. "Take care of yourself Twilight." I said before letting her loose with a smile.

Twilight smiled at the both of us and stepped through the portal.

Sunset and I stood there watching the portal for a moment before I slung my arm around her shoulder and said, "Let's go home."

Once we were safely home. Sunset spoke up.

"So you play the guitar?" She asked.

"I do. I also play the violin." I replied.

"Really? I haven't seen one." She responded.

"I know. I need to find a good music shop to buy one. I also need to find a good DJ. There is a style that I really liked and I think that some people would really like it." I said.

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. This girl was a ballerina and a violinist and she combine her two loves, threw in some dubstep, and became the hip-hop violinist. She had released three albums before, well everything happened. I have the sheet music, so I might try and recreate her sound here." I replied.

"That sounds really cool actually. Though could I hear you play something on the guitar?" Sunset asked, a dusting of red on her cheeks.

I smiled. "Sure. Let me get set up."

Walking to my room, I grabbed my guitar and amp and headed back to the living room.

Plugging the amp in and connecting the guitar to the lead, I checked to see if the instrument was in tune and made a couple of adjustments before I began to play.

As I sang, I watched Sunset's expression. She seemed to follow the emotions of the song and the story that it told.

"That was amazing. Was that one you wrote and what is it about?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, this is one that someone else wrote that I quite enjoyed. It was actually written as a tribute to a really amazing sci-fi series that was cancelled after the first season. The song centers around the ship, the captain and one of his crew that he has feelings for and she has feelings for him, but her profession prevents them both from acting on them." I explained as I set my guitar down.

"Why would her profession prevent it?" Sunset asked.

"She is a Companion. Basically a legal, very high priced prostitute. She is a valuable member of the crew because having her on board lets them land on more planets than without. The captain cares for her, but the fact she is, as he puts it, a whore, is something he can't get past because he knows she won't retire and he can't be with her in that way if she doesn't." I explained, summing up the highly complicated relationship that is Mal and Inara.

"How does the show end?" Sunset asked.

"Suddenly thanks to the sudden, but inevitable betrayal of the studio. The creator had to make a movie several years later that tied up most of the loose ends, but it rushed the story. Had they been allowed to continue and the episodes had been aired in the correct order, they could had two or three seasons in total to tell the story with a better pacing." I replied as I went to my movie rack, which contained most of my collection from Earth. Locating the series, I turned to Sunset.

"So do you want to watch it even if you know you won't get the resolution that you want?" I asked holding the case up.

Sunset nodded vigorously.

I laughed and put the first disc in.

"Welcome to the Browncoats, Sunset." I said with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been about a week after I had spoken to Applejack that I received a call from her. She said that all the girls were ready to apologize.

So Sunset and I found ourselves at a coffee house waiting for the girls.

"Nervous?" I asked as I sipped my drink.

Sunset nodded. "Hard not to be. I want to fix things, but what they did hurt and it still hurts." She replied.

I nodded. "It will for a while. But if they are honestly sorry, they will learn to trust you and not jump to conclusions like they did in this case." I said taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Sunset smiled as the bell over the door rang.

We looked up and we saw five girls enter and head to get drinks.

"Is that them?" I asked.

Sunset nodded.

I observed the group. I saw Pinkie, her hair slightly flatter than it was when I bounced her off my Barrier at the school. There was a girl with white, and I mean white, skin and purple hair that looked like it had seen better days. Another girl had yellow skin and long flowing pale pink locks that honestly, looked like she was afraid of her own shadow. Then there was a tall blonde with a brown stetson hat, which pegged her as Applejack. The last was a rainbow maned girl that could only be Rainbow Dash, a girl that Sunset had an ego the size of a small country.

Soon the group approached our table, and after a nod from Sunset they sat down.

There was a bit of an awkward silence, filled with the sound of people drinking. Finally, Sunset spoke up.

"Girls, I'm not going to lie. What you did hurt. I needed my friends and you abandoned me. Even after everything we went through at the Battle of the Bands, you believed that I would just throw away everything to go back to who I was. I know I was a bitch, but I don't want to be that girl any more, and I will never go back to it." She said.

The five all looked down before Rainbow spoke up, her voice hoarse.

"I'm sorry Sunset. I should have at least given you a chance to explain or try to find some evidence that you were innocent. But instead I let my ego get to me and believe what everyone was saying that you had gone back to your old ways instead of looking at how you have changed since the Fall Formal." She said, looking at Sunset with a hollow look on her face.

"And I should have believed you were tellin' the truth sugarcube. But I guess I just didn't want to see what was staring me in the face that you were being set up, because the alternative was that ma kin was setting you up to take the fall." Applejack said. "I am truly sorry for that."

"I am sorry as well darling. I, like Applejack, did not want to believe my little sister could stoop to such things. Now I have lost her because of my blindness, and I, we, nearly lost you." The purple haired girl, Rarity, I realized from her proper tone and speaking of a sister, said.

"I'm sorry too Sunset. I had my doubts it was you, but I didn't speak up and you took the blame. Can you please forgive me?" Fluttershy asked, eyes shining with unshed tears, her voice and shoulders shaking.

"I'm sorry too Sunset." Came the morose voice of Pinkie Pie, so at odds with her bright coloring. "I thought you were going back to being a big meanie-pants and were making everyone sad. I didn't realize just how much we were hurting you and that I almost never got to see your smile again." She said, her hair falling to being completely straight and flat, which honestly was very creepy.

Sunset took a sip of her drink before responding.

"Like I said what you did hurt, and it will for a while. I want us to be friends again, because you girls showed me that I could honestly be happy. I can understand that given who was behind this, you didn't, couldn't, believe that they would do such a thing. I was shocked when Talisman put the pieces together because even at my worst, I never messed with them like I did you and the classmates in our year. I know that things will be different between us and I would be naive to think otherwise. But I do want to be friends with you all. It will just take some time to build that trust back up." She said.

The girls gave watery smiles and whispered 'Thank yous' after she finished. They then turned to me.

"I'm not gonna lie, if it wasn't for the fact that Sunset was willing to give you lot a chance, to prove that you made a mistake, I would tell you to go hang. But Sunset believes in you and cares for all of you. But you all hurt her deep." I said. "That kind of pain don't heal easy. I know from experience. I will give you all a shot, for her sake. Prove me wrong and make this one smile again." I said, nodding to Sunset.

A chorus of 'Thank yous' came as a response.

"Since we won't be doin' the Apple Family Christmas with everything going on, what are you going to do Sunset?" Applejack asked.

"Talisman and I are probably just going to stay in and watch some movies. This whole mess has kind of killed my holiday spirit this year." Sunset replied.

"I myself am a practitioner of the old ways any how, so I never really celebrated Christmas as you would. I still give gifts, but I observe the day as Yule." I said.

My response got some curious looks from the girls, but none felt comfortable asking questions.

Soon we parted ways, Sunset and I to go shopping for a few gifts, and the girls to salvage what they could of their holidays.

"So what is Yule?" Sunset asked after we had returned home and unloaded our purchases.

I looked up from where I was unboxing a fake tree.

"Yule is the celebration of the year's end that was practiced by the old pagan groups before western religion came and replaced the old ways. We thank the gods for the harvest and ask for blessings of a good year when the winter has passed. We provide offerings of food and drink as thanks and payment." I explained.

Sunset gave a sound of understanding.

"In the old days, belief in magic was more widespread. It isn't like the magic that you and I can do. It is primarily ritual and very slow compared to what we can do. That and if you do it for selfish reasons, what you do will come back on you three fold. That is why the main tenant of the Craft is 'Do no harm'." I elaborated.

"So basically the worship of various gods to ask for assistance and such?" She inquired.

I nodded. "Exactly. We never demand of the gods and we do not prostrate ourselves before them. We walk with them and ask for their assistance when we need it. Most witches, and it is a gender neutral term, despite what pop culture says, are more comfortable when surrounded by nature. Forests, open fields, mountains, bodies of water and the like. We respect nature and take only what we need to do what we need to do." I explained.

Sunset went back to wrapping gifts in silent contemplation.

I smiled, maybe my path could help her find peace with her past and truly move beyond it.

The days leading up to Yule were a bit hectic. We did some decorating around the house, me explaining the significance of the decorations in regards to the old ways. I could tell that she was absorbing my lessons on a new kind of magic as she seemed to hang on my words. I told her the creation story of the old Celts, with the God and the Goddess, and how to work the energies when performing a prepared ritual. I also explained that being in the circle was not always necessary. Just a quick and simple prayer was all that it took sometimes to help calm one's nerves.

I also taught her how to ground, center, and shield herself. This lesson came easily to her as she explained it was basically what she would do as a unicorn on the other side of the mirror when she was learning to cast a new spell.

This helped her considerably. Within a couple of days, she seemed to be lighter than before, less prone to moments of melancholy. She even stated as much and that her temper, which I had fortunately not seen at this point but she said it was legendary, was slowly becoming easier to control.

Once Yule came, we invited Aegis and her girlfriend, Celestia, and Luna over. All four accepted and though Celestia and Luna made it clear that they normally do not do this, they both enjoyed themselves.

We had a nice dinner and enjoyed a couple of movies after exchanging gifts before Aegis had to report in for duty that night. Her girlfriend, Amethyst Rose who was a fun loving girl with a prankster streak, Sunset and myself all gave her hugs and told her to be careful while on patrol.

At that point, Amethyst, Celestia and Luna all took their leave after wishing us a happy holiday.

Once the door was shut, Sunset and I collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the last few days.

"I had a good time. Thank you." Sunset said as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"I'm glad." I replied, wrapping my arm around her.

"Thank you also for everything you have done to help me. It has made a big difference that I can already see, and it has just been a few days." She added.

I smiled and rubbed her shoulder.

"That is why I did it. I was glad that it helped." I replied before looking at the time. "Now come on, it's late and we should get some sleep." I said nudging the girl, eliciting a groan and a complaint about not wanting to move. Smiling, I turned and scooped her up bridal style and carried her to what was quickly becoming our room rather than just my room. Setting her on the bed, I lightly tossed her pajamas to her and grabbed mine before heading to the bathroom to change into mine.

After getting changed and brushing our teeth, Sunset and I lay in bed, just enjoying the closeness.

"I like this." Sunset said, contentment in her voice.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Laying together like this. I feel safe, whole if you get what I mean." She clarified.

"I do." I said, before taking a chance. "I know I said we should wait, but I think we are at a good point to ask. Sunset Shimmer, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

I felt Sunset move and I turned my head and saw her looking at me with the biggest smile on her face.

"I'll take that as a yes?" I asked a smile on my face.

Sunset nodded. "Yes." She replied.

My smile widened as I raised up and gave her a kiss.

There were no fireworks or anything, just a sense of rightness and love. We separated after a moment, and smiling we hugged each other tightly.

No words were spoken as we fell asleep in each other's arms.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Sunset as we sat in my truck, parked in the student parking of CHS.

"No, but it can't really be avoided." Sunset replied before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Let's go." She said, turning to me with a smile.

I smiled back as we climbed out of the vehicle and grabbed our bags. Meeting in front of the vehicle, I took her hand, entwining my fingers with hers and giving a gentle squeeze.

Together, we walked into the school. Once inside we headed to the office so I could pick up my schedule. After retrieving it, Sunset looked it over.

"It looks like we have the same classes." She said.

I rolled my eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that Celestia is meddling?"

"Because she probably is." Sunset said with a laugh. "Joke's on her though. This just means that I get to spend all day with my very pretty boyfriend." She said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I laughed. "Even if he's prettier than you?" I said with a smirk, recalling her saying something similar a few days ago.

"Yup." She chirped happily.

We had a bit of time to kill, so we located my locker and I dropped off my bag before we headed to hers so she could get her books.

Reaching her locker, we saw evidence that the door had recently been repainted.

Sunset sighed.

"Must have happened before everything came out." I said. "We will handle it as it comes hun." I added, rubbing her back.

"I know. Doesn't mean it doesn't sting." She said as she opened her locker and pulled out her books for the first half of the day.

I looked around as she did so. The students that had already arrived glanced our direction looked for a moment and then looked away in shame.

Good. At least some of them have remorse for what they did.

As the day progressed, a number of students approached Sunset and apologized. She gracefully accepted their apologies each time.

Finally lunch arrived.

Getting our food and sitting down, I groaned.

"I forgot how much high school sucks." I groused.

Sunset laughed.

Before she could reply, her friends nervously approached the table.

Sunset took pity on them and waved to the open seats.

"So how's the first day back going?" She asked.

This opened the floodgates as we all discussed how the classes were going so far.

Then Rarity turned to us and asked, "So I take it things are going well with you two ladies?"

Sunset and I looked at each other and started laughing.

The girls looked at us with confused looks, causing our laughter to get louder.

After we calmed down, I wiped my eyes.

"Actually, you of all people should know that appearances can be deceiving." I replied with a smirk.

Rarity looked at me blankly, then her eyes widened in realization.

"Well, I will certainly say that you can pull off the look darling. How would you feel about modeling for me? I do enjoy a challenge." She said with a smirk of her own.

"Why not? Finding outfits in my size that look good can be challenging." I replied as the other girls became even more confused as Sunset shook with silent laughter, her head resting on my shoulder.

"Somebody mind fillin' us in on what is so gosh darn funny?" Applejack asked finally.

"Talisman is not, as we had assumed a member of the fairer sex." Rarity replied.

This cause Rainbow Dash and Applejack to become even more confused while Pinkie Pie started giggling and Fluttershy let out a quiet "Oh my."

Deciding to take pity on the pair, I leaned across the table, and in my normal voice, I said, "Howdy."

The look on their faces was priceless. Finally Rainbow Dash started laughing and Applejack chuckled.

"I have to admit, that was pretty good." Applejack said finally. "So is this going to be a normal thing?" She asked.

"Dressing like this?" I asked in my 'female' voice. "Yup. I enjoy doing it and I look damn good too."

"That he does." Sunset added as she pecked me on the cheek, causing Fluttershy to blush even deeper.

I looked at her for a moment. "Manga?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Thought so. Goddess bless Japan and their wackiness." I said, raising my glass.

After lunch we hit our end of the day classes. Gym was a bit awkward, but it passed quickly, the coach and the rest of the class being surprisingly okay. With the exception of one.

The girl's name was Gilda, and after looking for a moment I placed her from the picture of Dash that was released during the 'Anon-a-miss' mess.

"So what are you some kind of sissy boy?" She asked.

"Nope. Just like wearing the clothes." I replied with a smile, making her growl.

Then the coach came in and announced that today's activity was dodgeball.

Unfortunately, Gilda and I were placed on opposite teams.

Unfortunate for her at least.

Soon the air was thick with flying rubber balls and the sounds of people getting hit with them.

Sunset had gotten hit earlier due to misplaced footing and I was currently the only one left on the floor.

"So pretty boy, ready to feel the pain?" Gilda asked, her remaining team members smirking with her.

I flipped my ponytail off my shoulder and smirked, before waving at her to bring it.

One of the main things I love about having been turned into a SOLDIER 1st Class is the reflexes. Eight balls came flying at me, and I was able to weave around them, moving like a dancer, catching the last one, taking that person out and getting Flash off the bench.

"Damn dude, you can move." He said as he grabbed a ball and threw it missing his target.

"Thanks." I replied as I chucked the ball I was holding at Gilda with only about half my strength.

It hit her in the thigh, knocking her leg out from under her, causing her to crash to the floor, face first.

Play stopped for a minute as everyone stared at me.

"Oops?" I said as I shrugged.

Gilda was rolled over and aside from a bloody nose, her thigh was covered with a massive rapidly forming bruise and swollen.

The coach, Spitfire, came over.

"How hard did you throw that ball Stryke?" She asked.

"About half strength ma'am." Her tone almost made me come to the position of attention.

She hummed thoughtfully and picked up a ball and handed it to me.

"I want you to throw this as hard as you can at the wall." She said, pointing at the far end of the court.

I shrugged and wound up before letting loose.

The ball traveled the distance in less than a second and exploded when it hit the padding on the wall.

Spitfire's jaw dropped.

"Well, I think you should sit out the next time we play dodgeball, unless you can pull your throws more." She said finally.

I considered. I had mostly been getting people out by catching the balls and the one I hit Gilda with was the first one I had thrown the entire game.

"I'll sit out. Rather not hurt anyone. Honestly didn't expect to do that much damage. Just enough to shut her up." I replied.

Spitfire nodded. "Well then you can do some PT for the rest of the period. Go to the sidelines and start doing push ups until I get tired." She replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Where you a drill instructor at any point?"

"I was." She replied.

"Thought so." I replied as I headed over to perform my 'punishment'.

I started doing normal push ups, maintaining proper form, back straight, head up, and breaking a ninety when going down. Once I had knocked out a hundred, I switched to wide grip push ups. Another hundred down, I switched to diamond pushups. Another hundred knocked out, I switched to fingertip push ups, holding myself up with just my fingertips and knocked another set.

At this point Spitfire stormed over.

"Just what are you kid?" She asked.

"Would you believe a bio-chemically enhanced super soldier from another reality?" I asked.

"With some of the weird shit that goes on at this school lately, yes I would." She replied.

I smirked and pushed some Mako into my eyes, making them glow.

"Damn. Can't participate, I can't PT you into the ground, what am I going to do with you?" She asked.

"TA?" I suggested.

Spitfire considered the idea.

"I'll have to run it by Principal Celestia, but sure. I'm pretty sure since a couple of people were filming it with their phones, she has probably seen what kind of damage you can do on purpose. I would hate to see accidentally." She said with a shudder.

"I wouldn't want to see that either." I replied as the final bell rang.

"Well, looks like it's time for you to go." Spitfire said.

"Yup. Meeting the girls to watch their band practice." I said.

"So they made up?" Spitfire asked.

"They're not at one hundred percent yet, but yeah." I said. "See ya later coach."

Shortly both Sunset and I were in the music room the girls practiced in and I was surprised by the speed of the CHS rumor mill.

"So I hear ya put the hurtin' on Gilda." Applejack said where she was tuning her bass.

"Seriously? That was like half an hour ago tops!" I said.

"The rumor mill at this school is quite efficient that way." Rarity replied, adjusting the strap on her keytar.

"Apparently so. And nice throw back to the 80s. Didn't think they still made those." I replied as I took a seat on one of the cases.

"So what happened?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "She was talking smack. I threw a dodgeball at her at about half power and she went down, busted her face up and has one hell of a bruise on her leg." I replied.

"Seriously? Half power? I doubt that. Gilda is made of tougher stuff than that." Dash countered.

"Umm, Rainbow Dash, she's telling the truth." Fluttershy said, showing Rainbow Dash her phone.

Dash watched the video a few times, growing paler every time.

"Please don't play baseball." Dash said nervously.

"I don't plan on it." I replied. "Not really my thing."

Dash sighed with relief, making all of us laugh.

"Now go on and play. I want to hear you girls." I said as I lounged on the cases.

The group started playing. It was shaky at first, like how their friendship was, but after a few songs, everything just meshed.

I bobbed my head along to the beat and then I noticed all the girls starting to glow as they sang _'Better Than Ever'_. Pulling out my phone, I began recording.

It was faint and flickered on and off, but as they moved into _'Shine Like Rainbows'_ the glow intensified. Then halfway through the song, there was a pulse of arcane power.

All six of them sprouted pony ears, their hair lengthened to have what appeared to be actual pony tails, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy grew wings.

They stopped singing after finishing the song.

I smiled and went up to Sunset.

"I like the ears. Very cute." I said, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you." Sunset replied with a wide smile on her face.

"Looks like you still have the magic." I replied with a smirk, getting a smack to the chest.

"That was bad and you should feel bad." Sunset said with a mock glare, slightly ruined by her twitching lips.

"Oh, yes. Woe is me, I made a horrid joke! My soul is rent in two!" I cried out dramatically, falling to my knees, head tilted back and the back of my hand resting on my forehead.

Silence. Complete and total silence.

I cracked an eye open.

"Too much?" I asked.

"Too much." Sunset agreed, the other girls agreeing, though I could swear Fluttershy was letting out a very quiet but high pitched 'squee'.

No, check that she was.

"Bishie?" I asked her.

She nodded rapidly before slumping in a dead faint.

Fortunately, Applejack caught the girl.

"What was that about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Does Shy have a large collection of manga and anime?" I asked.

"Yeah actually. How did you know?" She asked.

"When you get a chance, look up bishonen." I replied. "Or just have her show you. Either way works."

Dash pulled out her phone and did a quick search. "Oh, okay. Meh, not really my thing." She said after looking at the results. "So do you play anything?"

"Guitar and violin." I replied.

"Well, let's hear you play." Dash said.

I looked around. Spotting a pair or acoustic guitars, I turned to Sunset.

"Play with me?" I asked.

She looked at me, then to the acoustics. She smiled as she realized what I had in mind.

For her present, I bought her a nice acoustic guitar. We had been playing together a couple of hours a day and we had been able to get a few songs down together.

"Medley?" Sunset asked as we picked up the guitars.

I nodded.

Taking a seat on a couple of stools, we turned our guitars and started playing.

There were a couple of missed notes, but we were able to make it through the over ten minute song with little difficulty.

"That was AWESOME!" Dash shouted once she was able to find her voice.

Sunset and I laughed before standing and taking a bow.

"I think things turned out okay." I said as Sunset and I collapsed onto the couch at home.

Sunset nodded, before curling up to me.

"I was worried, but things did go alright." She said.

I nodded as I ran my fingers through her hair.

"So what are those marbles in your gloves?" She asked, looking at the wrists of my gloves.

"Magic." I replied.

She sat up a bit and looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

I pulled the Ice Materia from its slot and motioned for her to hold out her hand.

I placed the marble in her hand and she gasped.

"You can hear it can't you? The song of the Materia." I said.

"I can. It sounds like a cold winter's night and a snow storm." She replied, awe in her voice.

I nodded. "That is a nearly fully Mastered Ice Materia. I have other spells as well, but this is how I made that Barrier that Pinkie bounced off of the day the Princess came by." I explained.

"I had wondered about that. I just thought it was Pinkie being Pinkie." Sunset replied.

Having spent more than a few minutes with the girl when she was in a good mood, I could understand what Sunset meant.

"Do you think you could teach me how to use this?" Sunset asked.

"Certainly. I have some lower leveled Materia I could give you to learn on. Let you Master them yourself." I said.

Sunset smiled. She made to stand and winced.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned she had injured herself.

"I must have pulled a muscle in gym class. I'll be fine. Just need to rest." She said.

"Or, alternatively, I can show you an alternative use for Materia." I replied. At her raised eyebrow, I elaborated. "Materia has other effects if you only channel a little bit of power into them. Go to the bedroom and take off your shirt and bra and call me when you are laying down." I said, letting her know I wasn't going to peek.

"You just want to get me naked." She said teasingly.

"Nope, not yet anyways. Trust me, when I want to see you, all of you. You will know, mostly because I will let you make the first move to let me know you are ready. And that will not be tonight." I replied, a serious expression on my face.

Sunset smiled happily at that. "Good. I just hope you will be worth the wait." She said, smile turning into a smirk.

"Tease." I shot back, sticking my tongue out, causing her to laugh as she headed to our room.

As I waited for her to call for me, I slotted a Fire Materia into each bracer, the marbles touching my skin through small holes on the inside of the cuff. Hearing Sunset call me, I headed to the room.

I paused for a moment, seeing Sunset shirtless, laying on her stomach with a pillow under her head and neck with her only wearing a small pair of sleep shorts made for a very fine sight.

"Enjoying the view?" She asked, looking at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Very much so." I replied as I reached the bed and lightly ran my fingertips up her leg, lifting up as I reached her shorts and set them down again on the small of her back, causing her to let out a sound of disappointment.

"Hey now, we are just going to get you back loosened up." I said as I climbed onto the bed and straddled her shapely backside.

Hey, I might be waiting, but I ain't made of stone.

Taking a deep breath to re-center myself, I channeled a small amount of energy into the Materia, causing my fingers to warm.

Sunset was about to say something, but whatever it was, it was lost in a pleasurable moan as my fingers made contact with her shoulders.

I carefully made my way down her back, making sure to get each of her muscles, feeling the knots loosen and disappear under my ministrations.

The area of her shoulder blades was exceptionally tight.

"How long has your back been this tense?" I asked.

"Since, oooh, the Fall Formal." She replied, interrupted as I hit a sensitive spot.

I recalled seeing the pictures and hearing Sunset's own description of the event. From the sound of it, it was exceptionally painful.

I continued to work my way down her back, easing the tension in her muscles as I went.

Soon enough, or far too soon depending upon how you look at it, I reached the waistband of her shorts. Repositioning myself off to the side, I began to rub down her legs, starting just below her buttocks and ending at her feet, taking a moment to pop her toes, easing the tension in the joints.

Once both legs were finished, I poked her in the shoulder, only to not get a response.

I moved to look at her face, I giggled a little seeing that she had fallen asleep.

Shaking my head I turned out the lights and moved back to the bed and carefully repositioned her so I could get her under the covers. Once she was situated, I went to take a shower.

Pulling off my shirt, I noticed something in the mirror. My chest, which was flat and toned when I woke up here, was slightly more rounded. Shrugging, I decided that I needed to start doing PT again anyways. I had gotten a touch soft during the winter.


	8. Chapter 8

That weekend found me standing in Rarity's workroom with her measuring me.

"So darling, I have to ask, how is it that Sunset and you are already in a relationship? I only ask because I care about her, though my actions over the winter might make you doubt that." She inquired.

"Well, there was a bit of the whole "White Knight Syndrome" thing for a couple of days, but for most of the time before I decided to ask her out, we spent most of the time talking. Sunset shared pretty well everything about her and her past, so I know that she is from Equestria and what lead her to coming here." I replied. I paused for a moment, and decided that I should tell her about my past as well. "Also, she is not the only one from another world." I added.

Rarity paused and looked at me. "What do you mean?" She inquired.

"I am from another world as well. Though my coming here was not exactly voluntary. The day I came here, the same day I found Sunset actually, I was killed on my world when World War III broke out." I replied, causing Rarity to gasp.

"My word, that is horrible!" She exclaimed.

I shrugged. "The way the social and political climate was, something like a full nuclear exchange was pretty much inevitable. Too much distrust between nations and too much hatred against some groups. Add that some of the issues in a few regions hand been going on for a couple of thousand years, things weren't really going to be calming down anytime soon. Having spent the better part of a decade fighting in those regions, I have seen what hate like that can do." I replied.

"How old were you before you came here? I hate to think that you were some child soldier like what I have heard about on the news." She asked.

I shook my head. " No, trust me it is almost impossible to enlist in the military under the age of eighteen unless you have parental permission and they only let you in starting at seventeen with that. I joined up when I graduated high school and spent ten years wearing the uniform as an infantryman. I would have stayed for a full twenty years, but I was tired of the fighting and I was tired of seeing my brothers die." I said closing my eyes, memories of the battlefield threatening to overwhelm me. I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I saw Rarity looking at me over her red rimmed glasses.

"I can't even begin to comprehend what that was like for you Talisman. But I do know that you should not feel any shame for admitting that you couldn't do it anymore." She said.

I gave a tight smile. "Thank you for understanding. As to the answer for your question, I had just turned thirty about a month before everything went down. That and since Sunset is older than she appears as well, we didn't have the whole teenage awkwardness to deal with. Once we got talking, the whole saviour thing faded. It's still there, but it is not the driving force. If Sunset had said that she would stay in the spare room at the house until she could find work and get her own place, I would have left it at that and we would have just been roommates. But at some point, I realized that I was getting close to this wonderful woman, that while she needs some help with it, has pulled herself from rock bottom, not just once but twice." I said. "I think once she is fully healed from this last fall, that she will be stronger than ever."

Rarity nodded. "She is quite resilient when she has someone to be there for her. I thank you for being that person for her." She said with a small bow of her head.

I nodded back at her. "I was just doing what was right." I replied. "Now enough of that depressing stuff. I thought we were doing some designing." I said with a smile, causing the fashionista to start for a moment before laughing.

"Indeed we were. Now, what colors should we use?" She said to herself as she moved around the workroom pulling out bolts of fabric.

Four hours later, I departed Rarity's house. Before I left I had handed her an envelope with several hundred dollars in it. She had protested, but I insisted and told her to consider it an initial investment in the boutique that she planned to open after graduation rather than payment for the outfits. That resulted in a shockingly powerful hug from the slender young woman.

However, my current task was not so light hearted. I was currently sitting in a meeting room at the Canterlot jail.

The heavy steel door opened and the guards brought in three young girls and sat them down at the table. I nodded to the guards as they walked out into the hall, closing the door.

The silence was thick in the room as the trio looked at me, curious as to who I was, but too nervous to ask.

"I want to know why you did this." I said finally.

The trio looked down at the table between us in shame.

"We were jealous." The redhead, Applebloom if I recalled correctly said.

I stared at the three of them.

"Jealous of what?" I asked.

"Our sisters were spending so much time with Sunset that we never got to see them!" The purple and white haired girl, Sweetie Belle, replied.

"So instead of saying 'Hey sis, why are you spending so much time with Sunset? I miss hanging out with you.' You decided to frame her for something that, even when she was the Queen Bitch of the school, she would never have done. At least not so blatantly that it could be tied back to her?" I said incredulously.

The trio hung their heads and began sniffling.

I sighed. "I was hoping that there was a better reason than petty jealousy behind this." I said. "You three should be thankful that this has been pretty well kept out of the news. Otherwise your families reputations would be trashed. Probably beyond repair." I added, causing Applebloom and Sweetie Belle's heads to snap up with wide eyes.

The third girl, Scootaloo, spoke up for the first time. "What would anything we did mean about our families reputations?"

"Maybe because the Apples have a farm that depends upon a reputation of them being fair and trustworthy to keep the farm. Maybe because Rarity plans to open a business after she graduates. Any damage to her reputation now would seriously hinder that. Plus her and Sweetie Belle's father does work in the financial industry. Something like this could cost him all of his clients. Even your parents would be hurt by it." I said to the purple haired girl.

"I'm a foster kid. It probably wouldn't do anything to them." She said sullenly.

"Ah, well as a foster kid myself, I understand your situation." I replied. "But that doesn't mean that you had to go and become another statistic. As far as the school goes, apparently Principal Celestia held and assembly and told the school that the situation was handled and that any kind of reprisal would be dealt with swiftly and harshly. She was quite upset at the situation you three caused. And since she barely batted an eyelash at the mess Sunset caused, you can imagine how pissed off she was." I said.

The three girls became even more subdued at this.

"Look, I'm not going to beat you up on this any more than I have too. As it stands, you will be lucky to get off with a negligent manslaughter charge from this. You have pretty well screwed over your lives before you even had a chance to get them started. If you have any remorse, you will do everything you can to turn your lives around when you get released. If you are really lucky, the DA might just decide to charge you as juveniles and your records will be sealed unless you do something as an adult. So you might be able to have a decent life. If you do, then take advantage of it and do something productive with your lives." I said as I stood up and waved at the camera. "Think on it girls. There has been enough heartache over this mess, no need to cause any more." I said as I exited the room and headed to the exit.

After gathering my belongings from the security desk, I ran into Aegis.

"How did it go?" She asked.

I sighed. "I got the answers I wanted and hopefully got through to them. Time will tell though." I replied.

Aegis nodded. "Shame really. If they had just talked to their sisters this mess could have been avoided." She said sadly.

"Yup. But what is done is done. I understand you had a talk with the girl who died's parents?" I asked.

"Yeah. They wanted to bring a wrongful death suit against all three families and the school. I was able to get them to back down after making them see the hard truth that their reaction to their daughter being a lesbian was what caused her to take her own life. I they had been supportive and not let their bigotry and hatred overrule their love for their daughter, she would still be with them." She said.

"Spoke from experience I take it?" I asked.

"Yeah. My parents could have cared less when I came out. All they asked was "Are you happy?" and that was enough for them. Amethyst on the other hand hasn't spoken to her family since they disowned her. But she tries not to let it get to her. She has been talking to the other girl, and she thinks she is getting through to her. But as you said, only time will tell." She said with a shrug.

I nodded. "Well I think you two are good for each other and I am sure your family loves her." I said, getting a genuine smile from the woman. I then smirked. "When are you planning to pop the question?" I asked causing her to stumble.

"How did you know?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I pay attention to people. I could see that you two are so head over heels in love with each other that if you two don't get married, I would be surprised." I replied.

Aegis smiled. "Well, in that case, wanna be my best man?" She asked.

I was stunned for a moment, before I smiled. "I would be honored. Though you do realize that I would not really be able to perform all of my best man duties since I am a minor right?" I replied. "Can't exactly take you to a strip club and get you completely plastered if I can't even get in the door."

Aegis laughed. "I appreciate the gesture, but no strip clubs for me."

"'Lead me not to temptation, I can find it myself?' then?" I asked.

"Yup." Aegis replied with a smirk, causing both of us to laugh.

I bid her farewell and headed home.

Reaching home, I found that Sunset was still out job hunting. Since she had gotten her identity papers, she was determined to help around the house.

I grimaced a bit as my stomach twinged. I wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but I had called and scheduled an appointment for Monday morning. Moving to the kitchen, I began to look for something to make for dinner.

While I was searching, I heard the door open.

"Talisman! I found a job!" I heard Sunset call out.

"Congratulations!" I called back. "Where at?"

"A motorcycle shop. I start next weekend." She replied as she entered the kitchen.

"That's great. What are you going to be doing?" I asked, walking out of the pantry.

"Going to be starting as a mechanic. It will be simple things like oil changes and such for a while, but if I stick with it I can take on the more complicated jobs." She said with a radiant smile.

"Well that sounds like cause for celebration. Sushi?" I asked.

Sunset nodded happily, causing me to chuckle at her exuberance. Grabbing my keys, we headed out to celebrate her new job, and hopefully a rewarding career.


	9. Chapter 9

I sat in the doctor's office tapping my foot as I waited to be seen.

Sunset had been worried when I told her I was going to be missing the morning classes to go, but I was able to allay her concern, hopefully at least.

"Talisman?" A nurse called out.

I stood up and walked over to the door the man was standing at.

After getting all my vitals, I found myself sitting on an exam table waiting for the doctor. After only a few minutes, a woman with red hair and creamy skin entered.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Tenderheart. How are you doing today young man?" She asked.

"Doing okay other than these weird cramps in my stomach. Started happening last week and, while random, they haven't stopped." I replied.

"Okay then, go ahead and take your shirt off and lay down." She said, making a couple of notes before pulling on exam gloves.

After I did so, she began to poke and prod my stomach.

"I'm not feeling anything obvious. Give me a moment to get an ultrasound in here." Tenderheart said as she left the room.

As I lay on the table, another cramp hit. Fortunately I had a high pain tolerance that had carried over from my old life. Getting shot and hit with shrapnel is never fun.

About five minutes after she left, Tenderheart returned with a portable ultrasound machine and technician.

After plugging in and booting the machine up, the tech squeezed the gel out on my stomach making me jump.

"Can you not warm that stuff up a bit? At least to room temperature?" I groused, causing the pair to chuckle.

As she ran the wand over my stomach, the tech stopped and made an adjustment to the machine.

"Well this is strange." She said.

I gave her a flat look. "That usually does not mean anything good." I stated.

Tenderheart looked at the screen for a moment, then looked at me and then back to the screen.

"Talisman, do me a favor and drop your pants." She said finally in a clinical tone.

I blinked for a moment, before shrugging and after the tech moved back, kicked of my boots and removed my pants.

"Underwear as well."

I rolled my eyes and stripped down completely.

"Okay lay back down and spread your legs." She said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of hospital are you running here?" I said with a smile as I complied.

I then had to deal with the doctor feeling my bits. Quite uncomfortable to tell the truth.

"Well, Mr. Stryke. You have just become a medical anomaly." She said after a few moments of examining my crotch.

I propped myself up on my elbows and raised an eyebrow.

"The cramps appear to be from you growing a uterus and ovaries." Tenderheart said in a clinical tone that masked her confusion.

I blinked. "What?" Came my intelligent reply.

"You are growing female anatomy. I can't even begin to explain how either." She said.

I groaned as I feel back onto the bed. I could probably explain it, but telling a doctor that magic is responsible for me growing new plumbing is probably a quick way to get locked in a padded room.

"I understand that you attend Canterlot High?" She asked.

I nodded as I looked at her in confusion as she had the tech scan lower on my stomach.

After a moment she spoke up again. "And it appears that your male organs are unaffected." She said, curiosity in her voice.

"So spontaneous hermaphrodite? How the hell is that even possible?" I asked.

"That I could not even begin to speculate. Though from what my sister, your school nurse Redheart has told me, and what I have witnessed myself when I went to the Battle of the Bands, I am open to the idea that magic may be to blame." Tenderheart said.

I looked at her in shock before nodding. "It sounds like a reasonable deduction. I do have magic, though it is different than what you were witness to." I explained.

Tenderheart nodded. "I figured. No one else at the school to my knowledge is having to deal with a change if gender. Any ideas as to why your particular magic would cause this?" She asked.

I thought for a moment. "Well, I started regularly crossdressing about a month ago and I am more comfortable wearing my female clothes than my male ones. It could be that since my body is still going through puberty, my magic is just adapting my body to something I am more comfortable with." I replied with a shrug.

"It is as good a theory as any." Tenderheart replied. "I am going to schedule a series of follow ups every two weeks to monitor the changes. If it weren't for the fact I would have to give up my license, I would ask if we could make this a case study. But I would be laughed out of the medical field for suggesting magic is causing this." She said.

I nodded as I got dressed.

After going home and changing, I arrived at school just in time for lunch. Sitting at our usual table, I handed Sunset a salad I had picked up on the way in.

"So how did the visit to the doctor go?" She asked, the others looking on curiously.

"Well as it turns out I am growing new plumbing." I said, pulling out my own salad.

The stares were expected and made me chuckle.

"So yes. At some point in the near future I will be sporting some new organs and all that it entails." I said after a moment.

Fluttershy was the first to say something surprisingly. "Well, there goes some of the cuteness." She said pouting

I raised an eyebrow.

"No futa?" I asked.

"No futa." She said firmly, making Pinkie and myself laugh.

"So you are going to have both sets?" Sunset asked.

I nodded.

"Huh. That will be interesting to see you deal with." She said with a smirk.

I bumped her shoulder with mine. "Brat." I said.

"Yeah, but you still love me though." She replied with a laugh.

"I do." I said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The rest of the day passed without incident.

Soon enough Sunset and I were at home, working on our homework as we ate dinner.

"So when were you going to tell me why you went to the doctor?" She asked.

"When I knew what was going on. Didn't want to worry you unnecessarily." I replied, meeting her teal eyes.

"Okay." She said. "Though thank you for being honest when I asked how it went."

I nodded. "Well, I knew for sure what the issue was, and since it is only mildly concerning, at least from a magic standpoint, I want you on this crazy path with me. Gonna need some support." I replied.

"So it is your magic that is causing it?" Sunset asked.

"Best theory we could come up with. My doctor, Tenderheart is Nurse Redheart's sister and she was at the Battle of the Bands. So she is in the know as it were." I replied. "But everything is guess work at this point as to the how and why. It could be that since this body is still developing and that I find myself more comfortable when crossdressing, that my magic decided to make my body on that I would be more comfortable in." I said, a frown on my face.

"Did you not want to transition?" She asked.

"I have considered it before, but the thing is I would have liked to have had a choice in the matter." I ground out. "That is what pisses me off."

Sunset rested her hand on mine, which had clenched, shattering the pencil I was using.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my fist.

I scooped up the remains of the pencil and threw it in the trash.

As I turned to head back to the table, Sunset pulled me into a hug.

"We will get through this. You helped me when I needed it, so let me help you." She said, resting her head on my chest.

I returned the hug and buried my face in her hair.

"Thank you." I said simply.

Sunset pulled back slightly and looked at me before leaning up and kissing me.

The kiss was full of love and passion and deepened, our hands running through each other's hair. Then one of Sunset's hands moved the my chest to brace herself, and she squeezed the flesh, causing me to moan into her mouth.

Pulling back, we were slighrly out of breath. Sunset looked to where her hand was and gently squeezed again, causing me to quitely moan again.

"Well that is different." She said with a smile.

I nodded, not quite trusting my voice at the moment.

Sunset took a step back, and bit her lower lip for a moment.

"Do you think I could see them?" She asked nervously.

I nodded before removing my shirt, deciding to tease her a little, slowly unbuttoning the garment.

Finally opening the garment and letting jt hang loose exposed the slowly growing mounds of flesh. They weren't anything to write home about, barely qualifying as an A-cup, but you could tell that they were breasts and not just pectoral muscles.

Sunset lightly touched them lightly, once more sending feelings of pleasure that I was quite unused to.

"Very sensitive I see. That might stop when they stop growing, or at least they won't be as sensitive." She said after a moment, stepping back and letting me button my shirt back up.

As we sat down, a thought came to me.

"I think I need to take a trip to Equestria." I said causing Sunset's head to snap up from her books.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because Rarity is good at making clothes, but I doubt she can enchant them." I said.

"Okay, where are you going with this?" Sunset asked.

"Well, by the time this settles down, it will be summer." I replied.

"And?"

I smirked wickedly. "Like you haven't thought about how I would look in a bikini. Getting the Equestrian Rarity to enchant them would reduce any bulge and make it look normal. And only you and I would know what would lie beneath." I replied.

Sunset gained a glazed look as she considered it and a slightly lecherous smile.

"You are really going to be in for it once I turn eighteen in this world." Sunset replied once she came back to reality.

I laughed at her response. My eighteenth birthday was a month and a half before hers, and we had made an agreement that anything beyond making out and some heavy petting would wait until then. There had been a few times that both our resolves had been tested, but we were able to pull ourselves back.

This summer would prove to most entertaining.


	10. Chapter 10

Sunset and I found ourselves racing to the school one morning after an emergency text from Rainbow Dash.

For a gorram guitar string. That girl really needs to get her priorities straight.

After the girls left, Sunset and I sat down on the steps in front of the school. We sat in a comfortable silence as Sunset wrote a message to Princess Twilight.

I had my arm wrapped around her shoulder as I observed the area in front of the school. A city bus pulled up to the stop and a person in jeans and a light purple hoodie with the hood pulled up got off.

I watched the figure pull out a device that resembled the PKE meter from the old Ghostbusters movies. I raised an eyebrow before the person started scanning the Wondercolt statue, causing both to raise in alarm.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I called out, startling them, causing them to take off running.

Sunset and I ran to catch them, but passing traffic delayed us long enough for them to jump on a bus heading back into town.

"What was that all about?" Sunset asked.

"I have no idea, but they were scanning the portal" I replied, us sharing a worried look.

* * *

A little while later, we were at a pep rally for the upcoming Friendship Games. The event had been postponed due to the tragedy before the winter holidays, causing Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash to look down. The Crusaders had just been sentenced to ten years in prison for their stunt. I hoped those girls took my words to heart and did some god when they got out. They did have the possibility of parole, so there was a chance of getting early release.

After a rousing musical number by Rainbow Dash where she ponied up, we all met in the library.

"So for those of us that are from out of town what the big deal is with the Friendship Games?" I asked.

This quickly evolved into a rant about how often Crystal Prep had beaten CHS in the games.

"So basically, what was supposed to be a friendly competition to foster good relations between the schools has devolved into a competition that is all about the prestige of winning it?" I asked.

The girls nodded.

I rubbed my head. "That is insane."

* * *

The next week the delegation from Crystal Prep arrived.

As they were arriving, Principal Celestia pulled Sunset and I aside.

"I would like for the two of you to try and keep any magic out of this competition as possible. Principle Cinch might use it as a way to force CHS to forfeit the Games." She said.

I sighed. "Is she the reason that a friendly competition got so heated?" I asked.

Celestia did not reply, but her expression spoke volumes.

"Right, so I understand Sunset, but why me?" I asked her.

"While Sunset is the most knowledgeable about Equestrian magic, your particular brand could be used to contain any that arises that the girls can't control." She replied.

"Good thing I always have a full complement then. Though warning you, if it gets too hairy, I might have to break out my sword." I replied.

"You have a sword?" Both Celestia and Sunset asked.

Looking around I motioned for them to follow me to an empty classroom.

Closing the door and motioning for them to stand back, I summoned the Fusion sword with a flick of my wrist.

Both jumped at the sudden appearance of the massive multi section blade. I let go of the blade and it disappeared in a flash of Mako.

Celestia collected herself. "Yes, well try to do what you can to keep it from getting to that point." She said.

I nodded and stood at parade rest. "Yes ma'am."

After Celestia dismissed us, we headed to the band room to meet the girls.

In the room, Rarity was showing off all the outfits she had made for the girls to wear for the games, even breaking out into song with full musical accompaniment.

Then after she ponied up, she suddenly reverted back and nearly collapsed drained of energy. We all clustered around her in concern as nothing like that had ever happened.

Then the door opened.

I blinked. The resemblance was uncanny, but it seemed that the local Twilight Sparkle had arrived, and judging by the uniform, she went to Crystal Prep.

Before the girls could get over thier shock, I walked up to her and introduced myself.

"Hi, name's Talisman Stryke." I said offering my hand.

"Twilight Sparkle." She said nervously.

"Crystal Prep I assume?" I asked getting a nod. "Well, welcome to Canterlot High. Are you participating in the Games?"

"Uh, yes, I…" She started before we were interrupted by Celestia and a very stern looking woman.

"Ms. Sparkle, you are needing out in front of the school." She said.

"Y...yes Principal Cinch." Twilight replied, clearly scared of the woman.

I looked at the woman and gave a slight glare, causing her to sniff in disdain and walk off with Twilight.

"So that is this world's Twilight. I had wondered if there was one." Celestia said.

"Polar opposites those two. But then Princess Twilight is older and has more life experience. Plus she is a royal, so she would have to gain a lot of confidence to keep the nobility from walking all over her. This Twilight seems to have zero social skills. Probably focused on her academics to the detriment of all else." I replied.

Celestia hummed thoughtfully, before nodding and heading off to do whatever she was doing previously.

Sunset stepped up next to me. "Don't you find it odd that Rarity collapsed and this world's Twilight was outside the door?" She asked quietly.

I nodded. "We'll have to keep an eye on her." I said.

* * *

Not half an hour later we were standing outside, Sunset resting her hand on the portal, worrying about the silence from the princess, the surface rippling under her hand when suddenly something began tugging on her hand.

I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and began pulling. After a moment, our efforts were rewarded when she was let loose, causing us to fall back.

Dusting ourselves off, Sunset went back to the portal and started panicking.

"No, no, no. Where is it?" She said before running to the other side of the statue.

I followed her and found her confronting the local Twilight.

"What did you do?!" She shouted, panic evident in her voice.

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted back, clearly unnerved by whatever had happened.

I spied an oversized compact hanging on a rope around her neck, glowing slightly.

I wrapped my arms around Sunset, causing her to slump as Twilight ran off to join her class.

"The portal, my magic, it's gone." She sobbed.

I turned her around and held her tight, while glaring at the Crystal Prep students that dared snicker at her.

"We'll figure it out my Phoenix." I said as I stroked her back.

"Phoenix?" She asked looking up at me.

I nodded. "You have risen from the ashes twice now, stronger and more beautiful than before. We will figure this out together. We're a team remember?" I said giving her a kiss, eliciting sounds of disgust from what appeared to be to females kissing.

I broke the kiss and glared at them, pushing mako into my eyes, the glow coupled with the dark, Japanese styled school uniform that Rarity had made me adding to the intimidation.

I honestly have no idea why Rarity had chosen the designs she did, but I thought I looked pretty good.

A little while later, we ran into Fluttershy, who informed us that she had run into the local Twilight and her dog Spike that she had smuggled in her backpack to the games. She said that after talking with the crying Twilight, something that made Sunset rub her arm in guilt, during that time she had ponied up and her magic had been drained out of her and a series of small portals had opened and a damned jackalope had come out of one before Spike had chased it through them before being struck by a beam of magic, causing him to gain the ability to talk.

We were all stunned by this development. Her device was draining everyone of their Equestrian magic. To what end, we could only speculate


	11. Chapter 11

After the attempt at a mixer before the start of the Games, where Pinkie Pie was able to get the party going before getting her magic drained and that uptight bitch Cinch showed up, the Games started with the Academic Decathlon.

Since I had just started at CHS, I declined to participate in the Games to allow the students who had been there since the last Games their chance to win. This way I was able to keep an eye on Twilight.

What I was able to observe was shocking. I figured that she had no social skills, but it seemed like for all of her intelligence she was ostracized by her classmates because of it. But judging by the fact that the group from Crystal Prep was the epitome of stuck up rich snobs, I can see how a shy bookworm like her wouldn't fit in.

Then I take my eye off of her for one damn second to chat with Cloudchaser, and she winds up draining Applejack at the Archery portion of the second round of challenges. Then she dropped the compact and it landed by the track being used for the roller derby, popping open and opening large portals.

Out of the portals came thick sentient vines. At least it wasn't tentacles. We already had magical girls, no need for this school to go hentai.

Jumping from the bleachers, I shot out several Firas at the vines causing the vines the break off their attacks on the racers on dirt bikes, one of who was Sunset.

A few more Firas forced the vines back towards the portals and then a couple of overpowered Firagas sent them back through completely.

As I was doing this, Rainbow Dash had ponied up and saved a Crystal Prep student who had almost gotten smashed by one of the vines as they pulled back towards the rifts. Twilight was able to recover her device and while trying to close it, wound up draining Dash of her magic as well.

This then cause a portal to open up over the field, showing a full moon hanging in the night sky. Sunset exploded on the girl.

"You shouldn't be messing around with something that you don't understand!" She shouted at her as the both of them struggled to close the device.

"But I want to understand!" Twilight shouted back, fear evident in her voice.

As I approached the pair got the device closed and the portal disappeared.

"Then you should have asked someone. They could have pointed you to either Sunset or myself. We could have helped you with some smaller scale stuff. What you are screwing with, what you are wanting to understand, it is high order, primordial, fabric of the universe type power, plain and simple. You a messing with something you can't hope to control." I said.

Twilight ran off, tears in her eyes. I sighed. I hated to be cruel like that, but she was playing a dangerous game.

* * *

We had moved to the front of the school for the final event, a tie-breaker game of Capture the Flag. As we were waiting, I was treated to a visit by Aegis and Amethyst.

"Hey you two, what are you doing here?" I asked as I greeted them.

"Just coming to root for the home team." Aegis said with a smile. "How is it going so far?"

"Well, Crystal Prep won the Academic Decathlon and CHS won the sports competition. So this is the tie breaker event. A game of Capture the Flag." I replied. As I looked at the pair, I noticed a glint on Amethyst's left hand. I smiled.

"About damn time Aegis." I said, with a laugh as we sat in the stands.

"I know, but this woman makes me happy, so I was willing to wait." Amethyst said happily, showing me her ring.

It was a simple gold band with a single small diamond set on it. Simple and something that she could afford on a cop's salary, but elegant in it's own way.

"Well congratulations you two." I said with a smile.

The pair smiled before a rush of wind swept through the courtyard.

Quickly turning my head, I saw a glowing sphere of arcane energy.

"Oh, shit! What has that girl done now?" I asked as I stood up.

"Talisman, what the hell is that?" Aegis asked, shock evident in her voice.

I looked over my shoulder and saw her eyes were wide and she had a slight tremor in her hand as it dropped to where her sidearm would have been if she was in uniform.

"Magic." i said simply as the sphere exploded and revealed Twilight Sparkle, but in a completely new form.

She had a twisting, glowing horn coming from her forehead, black wings on her back and even her clothes had changed. Gone was the conservative Crystal Prep uniform and glasses. In its place, a pair of ripped up stockings, high heels, and a short skirt and low cut top that positively oozed sex appeal. Her glasses were replaced with a flaming mask, glowing the same green as her horn. What had me worried was the massive nodachi in her left hand, especially when she drew back the anti-cavalry blade and began ripping open rifts to another world.

Looking through the portals, I realized the it was Sunset's home, Equestria.

"Shit." I said as I jumped from the bleachers and summoned the main blade of the Fusion sword, a flick of my wrist causing the blade to expand.

Running forward, I leapt up at Twilight, swinging my blade, which she met with her own, interrupting her monologue about the power she had.

"Twilight! You have to stop this before you hurt someone!" I yelled as our blades clashed before gravity pulled me back down. As I dropped, I flung a low level Thunder spell at her, but she batted it away.

As I landed, she charged me. I was barely able to get my blade up in time, her speed being greater than I had anticipated. She was either adapting to her new powers far quicker than I would have thought, or she was riding the wave and had better instincts that I thought.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girls helping to save students, CHS and Crystal Prep alike, from falling through the rifts. All five of them started glowing as they pulled them out.

I twitched my left hand and summoned the hollow blade and swung it at Twilight, barely scratching her abdomen, drawing a thin line of blood.

I closed the main blade, and secured the hollow blade to the main blade and held the blade in front of me, angled so the tip was by my left shoulder, the blade running across the front of my body.

Then I heard Sunset yell out.

[A/N: This next part is direct from the movie.]

"This isn't the way! I know you feel powerful right now, like you can have everything you want! I've been where you are, I've made the same mistake you're making! I put on a crown and, just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained! I thought it could get me everything I wanted!" Sunset shouted.

Twilight laughed cruelly. "Oh, you're wrong. Unlike you, I _can_ have everything I want!" She said back, a wicked smile on her lips, nodachi hanging loose in her grip.

"No, you can't. Even with all that magic and power, you'll still be alone! True magic comes from honesty! Loyalty! Laughter! Generosity! Kindness! I understand you, Twilight, and I want to show you the most important magic of all…:" Sunset said as the compact began charging with the energy of the girls as she named off the Elements of Harmony before throwing the device to the ground, causing a second sphere of light to emerge. "...the Magic of Friendship!" She finished after the light cleared, her outfit a beautiful white dress, knee high boots, elbow length fingerless gloves, and a red mask around her eyes. The most fitting part of the transformation was the wings of red and gold, looking like flames. The wings of a phoenix.

I quickly pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures.

Twilight laughed wickedly and fired a blast of magic at Sunset who met it with her own. Sunset was almost overwhelmed, but Twilight was distracted by her dog calling her name, giving Sunset a chance to push back.

[End of movie extract]

I watched the pair disappear into a sphere of light as their magics clashed after Sunset used her power to close the rifts.

Soon the sphere descended to the ground and dissipated, the pair resuming their normal appearances.

I dropped the Fusion blade, it once again disappearing in a flash of Mako green, and hurried up to the pair, pulling them both into a hug.

"Glad you two are okay." I said as Twilight sobbed into my shoulder.

"I-I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen." She said between her sobs.

Sunset and I pulled back and looked at her.

"Everything worked out. There were no serious injuries and we can always hold another musical showcase to raise the money to replace the statue." I said. "Things can be replaced, people can't." I added, booping her nose, causing her face to scrunch up cutely and her glasses to slide down.

Then Cinch had to open her mouth.

She was quickly shut down however by her Dean and her own students. Oh, and by the talking dog. Quite satisfying overall, even if the thought of running the bitch through was one that I quite enjoyed.

Soon enough, the crowds dispersed and the Crystal Prep students were preparing to leave.

The girls and I were talking and looking over the photos of Sunset's new transformation.

"Well I have to say that you looked absolutely beautiful, my Phoenix." I said as we watched a video of her hovering, wings of fire supporting her.

"I guess it really is appropriate, huh?" She said as she gave me a hug.

Before I could reply Celestia approached with Twilight by her side.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to our newest Wondercolt." she said, as Twilight looked down bashfully.

We all happily greeted Twilight.

"Welcome to our motley crew." I said, lightly bumping her shoulder.

"Thank you. But how are you all so accepting, after well, all of that?" She asked.

Sunset smiled. "We're a forgiving bunch. Trust me on that." She said with a smile.

* * *

Later that day the eight of us were sitting by the statue having a picnic and getting to know each other when the portal rippled.

"I am so sorry I didn't get your messages. I was dealing with this time loop thing and it was the craziest thing I have ever experienced." Princess Twilight said as she came skidding out of the portal, stopping when she saw her counterpart. "Make that the second craziest thing she said making us all laugh as the two Twilights awkwardly waved to each other.

I stood up and stood by the princess. "Twilight, meet Twilight Sparkle, formerly of Crystal Prep Academy and our newest Wondercolt." I then turned to the human Twilight. "Twilight, meet Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria."

"How is this possible?" The human Twilight asked.

I shrugged. "Welcome to the wide, wide world of the Multiverse. An infinite number of realms, each similar, yet differing from our own." I said.

* * *

Later that evening, Sunset and I collapsed into bed, worn out from the rollercoaster the the day had turned into.

"Today was a day." I said.

"Yup." Sunset replied.

"Glad it is over. At least we came out up a friend." I replied as we cuddled under the blankets.

"Yup and a cute one at that." Sunset replied.

I pulled back and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Already looking to trade me in for the newest model?" I asked teasingly.

"No." Sunset said, laughing. "But do you remember what I said about how relationships in Equestria work?" She asked.

"Yeah, monogamy is the exception, not the rule." I replied.

"Yeah. Before I got all power crazy, I always dreamed of having a big family. Comes from being an orphan I guess. The feelings have come back lately." She said quietly.

I held her close. "Well, I am open to it, but then I am a bit more opened minded. Polyamorous relationships can work with the right people. But they are a lot of work to try and find that right balance." I replied.

"Huh, so not the answer I was expecting." Sunset replied.

"What, do you think I want to be in the situation of failing to please two females?" I asked. "Just keep this in mind: 'You never know with the quiet ones.'"

"What does that mean?" Sunset asked.

"What I mean is that she is someone who has spent her life in books. I would have to look at her bookshelves, but there might be a kinky woman under that sensible librarian-esque look." I replied, causing Sunset to laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

About a month after she joined CHS, Twilight invited Sunset and myself over to her house.

When we arrived, she met us at the door and after saying hello, grabbed our hands and dragged us to the garage, with the pair of us giving a quick greeting to her parents as we were pulled through the kitchen, where we found weight equipment and a heavy duty treadmill.

"So what is all this?" Sunset asked.

"I was curious about how Talisman was saying she was enhanced. It was obvious during the fight when you jumped nearly twenty meters up to me. I want to gauge how much you are enhanced." She said to me.

Sunset and I shared a grin. We had neglected to tell Twilight that I had started out male, and we currently had a bet on how long it would take for her to figure it out.

But with me currently having breasts that were quickly approaching D-cups, it might take awhile. I honestly wish the damn things would stop growing. They make it hard for me to run and practice my hand to hand forms.

"Sure." I said with a shrug. "At least you asked me to wear gym clothes." I added. "What do you want to test first?"

She motioned to the treadmill. "Cardio and respiration first." She said as she held up a heart monitor band.

I lifted my compression top and put the strap on and climbed onto the treadmill as I pulled the top down. I helped Twilight put the respiration mask on me and made sure that the hoses were out of my way.

She moved over to a computer and started the treadmill.

Over the next twenty minutes, the speed and incline of the treadmill increased to the maximum for the machine, nearly fifty kilometers per hour and a twenty five degree incline. After another ten minutes at that pace, I was just starting to get winded and Twilight was getting annoyed.

"Okay" She said as she set the machine to slowly cool me down and stop. "That means that you are definitely in a class of your own when it comes to stamina."

I still had the tube in my mouth, so I just looked at the pair and waggled my eyebrows, causing Twilight to blush and Sunset to laugh.

"That is not what I meant!" She said as the machine stopped.

Unhooking myself, I stretched out.

"That was fun. What next?" I asked, making Twilight grumble cutely.

"Now we test your raw strength. Take off your shirt so I can attach these sensors to you." She said holding up several small devices.

I looked at her before pulling my top off and resituating my two sports bras.

"How much is your allowance to afford all this stuff?" I asked.

"She gets a pretty good one." A male voice replied

We turned and saw a white skinned and blue haired male standing in the doorway.

"Hey Twily. Who is this?" He asked.

"Oh, this is Sunset Shimmer and Talisman Stryke. My new friends from Canterlot High. Talisman, Sunset, this is my older brother Shining Armor." Twilight said, introducing us.

Shaking his hand, I asked Shining, "So rescued any princesses lately?"

He frowned. "Do you have any idea how many time I have heard that joke?"

"Probably for the rest of your life?" I replied as we moved to the weight bench.

"Okay Twi, how much weight do you want me to start with?" I asked after she had secured the sensors.

"Start with seventy kilograms." She replied.

"On top of the bar weight right?" I clarified.

"Yes." She replied as she moved to her computer.

I loaded the weights on the bar and turned to Shining. "Spot me?"

He nodded and moved behind the bench.

Laying down, I got a good grip on the bar and started pumping out reps, slow and easy.

"How is that?" Twilight asked as she monitored the sensor feeds.

"Pretty light actually." I replied, feeling no strain.

"Okay, stop and increase the weight to one hundred kilograms." She said, jotting down notes.

Shining and I quickly added the weight and I began again. After another twenty reps, I was still feeling no strain, so Twilight had me up the weight to one hundred twenty five kilos.

The process continued until I got to three hundred kilos, at that point, I started to notice the weight.

"How is that?" Twilight asked.

"Feeling it now." I replied as I maintained my pace and form.

She had me bump the weight another fifty kilos.

Now I was actually struggling, and Shining had a look of disbelief on his face as I finished another set of twenty reps.

"Okay. I think that is it for the weights." I said, a slight tremor in my arms.

"How were you able to bench press three fifty like that? I can barely manage two hundred right now." Shining said.

I looked at him, smirked and winked say, "Get good."

Shining huffed and blushed.

"Don't feel bad. I have been enhanced to be stronger and faster. But I still have limits." I said with a genuine smile.

"Okay, so you have a serious strength advantage when it comes to raw weight you can lift. Now I want to see how much force you can put behind a punch. Strike this force plate please."

Twilight said, gesturing to a flat black plate with wires running from it.

I went to my bag and got my hand wraps and grappling gloves out. After putting them on, I went up to the plate.

"Full force?" I asked

"As hard as you can hit." Twilight said in a no nonsense tone.

I looked at the plate and the _wooden_ pillar it was attached to.

I turned to Sunset. "Get ready to call a contractor."

"Why a contractor?" Shining asked quizzically as I snapped around and delivered a full force blow.

The pillar shattered and the plate became lodged in the far wall, bent from the impact.

The dust settled, and all of us were surprised.

"Right. Always pull my punches." I said in a hollow voice. If that had been a human, they would be leaving in a body bag.

"That plate had a maximum of nearly nine thousand newtons. You went off the scale before it was destroyed." Twilight said. "It was over nine thousand." She added in awe.

I couldn't help myself. I hit the ground laughing.

The others stared at me as I rolled around.

"Whoo, I needed that." I said, brushing myself off and stood up.

"What was so funny?" Twilight asked.

"Just an old show." I replied. Though I am glad that some anime didn't exist here. The 'IT'S OVER 9000!' gag was old when the memes started.

The others shrugged as Twilight and Shining's parents came out into the garage.

"What happened here?" Their mom demanded.

"Just doing some testing. It appears that my strength was a bit too much for the pillar. But I will have a contractor here to make an estimate and I will foot the bill for the repairs." I said, forestalling any lying on Twilight's behalf.

Girl has a worse bluff than Applejack and that is saying something.

"Oh, well thank you very much. You are quite the responsible young woman. I'm Twilight Velvet and this is my husband Night Light." She said.

"Pleasure to meet ya ma'am. I'm Talisman Stryke and the redhead over there who is most likely checking out my backside is Sunset Shimmer." I said before looking over my shoulder to see Sunset looking off to the side with a blush. "Don't worry love, you can look." I told her.

Velvet laughed. "You two are dating I take it?" She asked.

I nodded. "Since Christmas."

"Would you two like something to drink?" She asked as Night Light inspected the damage.

"What did this?" He asked as he pulled the deformed plate out of the drywall.

"I punched it." I replied to him before turning to Velvet. "Something to drink would be lovely. Also, could I trouble you to use your shower? I got a bit of a workout today." I inquired.

"Certainly. Right this way." Velvet said motioning for me to follow.

After showering, I joined Sunset and Twilight in Twilight's room.

"So basically you are at least three times as strong as a normal human." Twilight said in summary of her very long winded explanation of the results.

"So basically, watch my strength when I am doing things." I replied as I brushed my hair.

"Yes. I'm not sure how to even begin to test you magical potential though." Twilight replied.

"Well," I started as I began to juggle balls of ice that I formed. "We can always find a lake or canyon that hardly anyone goes to. Though that is only going to be good for some of my spells. I'm not doing any summons unless the situation requires them." I finished.

"You have summons?" Twilight asked, her eyes wide

"Yup. Shiva, Choco/Mog, Ifrit, Tiamat, Bahumat, Neo Bahumat, Bahumat Zero, Odin, Phoenix, and Knights of the Round." I said. "The Bahumats and Knights of the Round are the most powerful ones." I explained.

Sunset and Twilight then began talking about how my magic compared to Equestrian magic. I looked around the room at Twilight's many bookshelves. There were a lot of advanced books on physics, chemistry, math, computers, and electronics on most of the shelves. There was however a decently sized collection of manga on the shelves with her fiction books.

"Hey Twilight. Mind if I browse through your manga?" I asked.

"Sure. Though most of it is not translated." She replied.

"That's fine. I might be a bit rusty, but I know how to read kanji." I replied.

I had learned how to read and speak Japanese when I was stationed in Japan for six years since I didn't want to be one of those foreigners. I had actually gotten pretty fluent at it, not up to the level of a native speaker, but enough to be able to hold a decent conversation that didn't take forever as I stumbled over the words.

Browsing through the titles, I pulled out a couple and read the first few pages and put them back since they didn't catch my interest. Then I pulled out one particular one that did catch my interest, but more for the content than anything else.

"Oooh myyy." I said, my voice temporarily deepening as I said, almost on reflex.

"What is it Talisman?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, just stumbled upon your eroge stash." I said as I read book.

"Eeep!" Twilight squeaked as she tried to tackle me to retrieve the book.

I looked at her as she literally climbed on top of me to pry the book out of my hands.

"No need to be ashamed." I said. "Everyone has a stash. Well, maybe not Sunset, but she has a reasonable excuse."

"Still, it is embarrassing." Twilight said. "And I kind of have a fantasy that will never happen."

"Oh, and why is that?" I asked.

Twilight mumbled something.

"Come again?" I said.

Sunset snorted. "That's what she said."

I gave her a flat look. "Not helping love."

"I like futanari okay. Go ahead and laugh. My ultimate fantasy the will never happen because they aren't possible." Twilight said, shoulders hunched as she held the book to her chest.

Sunset and I shared a look, silently agreeing that our bet was a wash.

"Nothing is impossible." I replied.

"What? Of course it is. Hermaphrodites exist, but they rarely have functional male genitalia that is of any reasonable size. A true futanari can't exist." Twilight said.

"I know you were just introduced to it recently, but you are forgetting about magic." Sunset replied.

Twilight looked at her with a look of confusion, to which Sunset gestured to me.

Twilight's head snapped around so quick we could hear her neck pop.

"I started out as a male, but my magic decided to adapt my body when I started crossdressing. I have two fully functional sets of plumbing. I have a newfound respect for what women have to go through." I replied.

I had always known that monthly cycles were never pleasant for women, but that was possibly the most uncomfortable and disgusting thing I have ever dealt with. And considering I had to help a medic deal with a gut wound where the guy's insides had become his outsides, that is saying something.

Twilight looked at me with awe, but then became crestfallen.

"Just my luck, I find the girl of my dreams and she is dating someone already." She said sadly.

"Well, one thing we haven't told you about is Equestria is that the population is heavily skewed towards females. They outnumber males on an average of four or five to one. Some places are even higher than that." Sunset stated.

"What does that mean?" Twilight questioned.

"It means that monogamy is the exception, not the rule." I replied. "Granted, if you were to want to give it a go, you would have to let go of any preconceptions about how relationships work." I added.

"Well, according to most anthropologists, humans aren't supposed to be monogamous either. It is a social construct that came about from religious groups that wanted to control the populous in early history." Twilight said.

I blinked. Of course she would have studied how humans have interacted and formed relationships. She researches everything it seems.

"Well, just so you know, relationships aren't things you can research or learn from books. You have to just get out there." I replied. "You can't always apply logic to them. Nor do they always work like the books seem to tell you they do, gesturing to some of the romance novels on her shelves.

"I know. I saw it when Shining Armor and Dean Cadance dated. They didn't work out because they are just too different." She said.

I shrugged. "It happens. The big thing with relationships is compromise. If you can manage that in a way that there is a comfortable balance, then things can work." i replied.

"If it helps you out, the way multi-partner relationships in Equestria work is that usually there is a lead mare that is 'in charge' if you will of the day to day organization of the household. Smaller groups with only two or three additional mares are easier to manage because everyone can be in a single bed, but some can grow so large, the mares have to have assigned rooms and they have to work up a schedule for the intimate moments." Sunset added. "The smaller the group, the more equal say eveyone gets. But since we do have enough similar interests, while each having our own individual interests, we can do things together and still have our own thing that we can do." She added.

Twilight was thoughtful. "I will think about it. This is a lot to take in." She said.

"That's fine. There is a lot to consider." Sunset replied.

* * *

We took our leave from Twilight's house and headed home.

"That actually went better than I thought it would have." Sunset replied. "Though you were right about the quiet, bookish ones."

I laughed. "It isn't always true, but it is often enough to be a thing." I replied.

Sunset nodded. "We are going to need a bigger bed." She added, causing me to laugh.


	13. Chapter 13

Our group was sitting on the steps of the school after classes let out on the last day of school.

"I am so glad finals are done." Rainbow Dash groaned.

We all rolled our eyes at the athlete's moaning.

"You know you have to keep your grades up if you want to play sports." Sunset said. "Besides, didn't you get named Captain for next year?"

"Yeah, I can't wait!" Dash replied with a smile.

"So what is everyone doing this summer?" Twilight asked.

"Well, there is the class trip to Camp Everfree next week. After that, just gonna be working around the farm." Applejack replied.

"Speaking of the farm, I'll be by after the trip to work on that tractor. Have all the parts come in?" I said.

"Eeyup. Last one arrived yesterday. Thanks for helping out with that Talisman. Saves us a boatload of money if you can get that old tractor running." Applejack said.

I waved her off. "Not a big deal. I know how to work on engines, and after I looked at it, it was something that I could handle. Plus you having all the books for it helps." I replied, leaning back to soak up the warmth of the sun.

"I'm going to be picking up more hours at the shop and hopefully start learning how to make repairs and do some painting." Sunset replied.

"I'll be working with the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner and helping my sister Maud with her research project this summer." Pinkie replied in her usual exuberant manner.

"More work on designs for me. I have several commissions I need to have done for a wedding in July." Rarity said, looking pointedly at me.

I smiled. "Hey, I just recommended you to Aegis and Amethyst. I didn't expect them to have half the damn wedding party go there for their dresses. Besides, this will get your name out there." I replied.

Rarity hmmphed. "That is true darling, but it is a lot of work for one person." She said primly.

"True, but you could have turned down some of the work. Could have just done Aegis and Amethyst's dresses and the maid of honor and my dress." I replied.

"Well, I couldn't very well let the other bridesmaids wear store bought dresses that don't fit properly and might not match." She replied, causing us to laugh, which she joined in with after a moment.

"I will be working at the shelter." Fluttershy replied simply.

"Summer practice for me. Gotta get the teams ready to go to state." Dash added.

"I will be working on some research projects this summer." Twilight said.

"I will be getting things started for opening my business next summer. Gotta meet with the realtors to get the property and the city council to get the permits to build." I replied. "Though how does a trip, just the eight of us before school starts back up. On last hurrah before our senior year." I suggested.

"Where to?" Sunset asked.

"Maybe the beach?" I suggested. "Rent a place for a week and get some sun and surf before coming back to class."

Everyone agreed and I said I would look into something after camp.

* * *

Saturday found me at the Apple Family Farm. Climbing out of my truck, I headed up to the farmhouse and knocked on the door.

The door was opened by Applejack's brother, Big Macintosh.

"Howdy Big Mac. Coming by to fix the tractor." I said.

"Eeyup." He said a slight blush on his cheeks as he averted his eyes.

Of course my outfit, chosen for comfort was a tad revealing. Snug fitting, but well worn blue jeans, snug fitting tank top to help support my bust with a button up shirt tied below my breasts, and a bandana to keep my hair out of my face.

"Just letting you know I was here. The barn open?" I asked, to which he nodded.

"Thanks." I replied with a wave as I headed back to my truck, rolling my hips slightly, just because I could.

Starting the engine and dropping into gear, I slowly made my way down the drive to the barn at the back portion of the non-farmed portion of the property.

Shutting off the truck and leaving the keys in the ignition, I went to the back and started unloading my tools. Three trips later and I had everything I needed.

About a month ago, the Apple's old tractor threw a rod and they unfortunately, like a lot of family owned farms, had been hit by a bad economy, so they couldn't afford a newer one like they wanted to.

Applejack asked if we knew anyone who could take a look and I offered to do so, having worked on farm equipment during my summers before I went into the army. After checking the damage, I told the family what they needed and I ordered the parts needed. It cost me a few hundred dollars, but since my trust had been very well invested and I had continued with those investments, it didn't bother me to foot the bill. I had offered to buy them a new tractor, but they refused.

Removing the upper part of the engine cowling, I attached an overhead winch that they had for moving the various implements around to the top of the engine and began unbolting it from the mounts and the transmission.

I had just lifted the motor out and set it on a stand we had made when I came out to inspect the issue when Applejack came in, already showing signs of hard work.

"Howdy Talisman." She said as she flopped down on a upturned bucket, stretching her legs out.

"Howdy AJ, busy morning?" I said around the toothpick I had in my mouth from the diner I had stopped at for breakfast.

"Yup. Had to mend some fences from that storm last week. Had a big ol' oak come down on it." She said tiredly.

"Took a bit to cut up the tree?" I asked as I doused the bolts with a generous amount of spray lubricant. Stepping back I let them soak as I pulled out the tools I would need and started laying out and organizing the parts.

"Yeah. The thing was a monster so we decided to track down a mill to see if they wanted it. Their guys finished up yesterday." Applejack replied. "Now we just have to get the busted pieces out of there so we can run new sections."

"Well, barring any problems, I should be able to get this thing up and running I said as I began draining the oil from the crankcase. Looking at the black sludge coming out of it, I gave the farmgirl a flat look.

"When was the last time you had this thing serviced?" I asked, getting a guilty look in return.

"Need to do it at least once a year AJ. Thankfully I have everything I need to do a complete rebuild since the block is still intact." I said as I began to unbolt the valve cover.

"So Talisman, how have you been coping?" AJ asked.

I looked at her as I loosened another bolt. "Ya mean the whole gender thing?" I asked, getting a nod in return. I shrugged. "Still got some issues, but it's not like I can really do anything about it. So might as well just roll with it." I said.

"Well, I say that dealing with all that and keeping yer head like ya have makes me really respect ya Talisman." She said.

I smiled as I rolled the sucker to the other side of my mouth. "Thanks AJ." I said as I began disassembling the valves and rockers.

All of the valves were so worn that I couldn't reuse them. Fortunately I had anticipated this so I had a whole new set.

After removing the head, I was greeted with scorched pistons. I sighed. "AJ, you owe me one hell of a meal for this." I told the girl as she stood up to head back out.

"Don't worry, you do a good job on that and we will fix you up right." She replied with a laugh as she headed out.

I continued for a few more minutes before the silence in the barn got to me. Looking around, I spotted a beat up radio. Walking over I turned it on and the sounds of a local country station came through.

Heading back over to the engine I picked back the work.

* * *

Several hours later, I had finished reassembling the motor and reinstalling it. After checking the connections, I refilled the fluids, made sure the spark plugs and all the electrical connections were secure, double checked the fuel line and climbed into the seat. Setting the choke and pushing in the clutch. I turned the key.

A few seconds later, the engine turned over. It wasn't running smoothly, but after making sure the brake was set and the chocks in place, I hopped down and grabbed a screwdriver and began to adjust the carburetor.

Eventually the machine was running smoothly.

I pulled the chocks, climbed back up, took off the brake and put the tractor into gear.

I drove it around the property for a bit, running it through the gears and turning on the PTO to make sure it was running smoothly.

As I pulled back into the barn, Applejack greeted me.

"She sounds better than she has in years. Might just have to ask you to come by and tune her up every now and again." She said after I shut the machine down.

"As long as you give me a head's up, sure." I said as I began packing up my tools.

Dinner's about done if you want to get cleaned up." Applejack said.

"I'll be there in a few." I said as I took one case to my truck.

* * *

After dinner, Applejack and I say out on the front porch.

"AJ, I have to ask. How are you guys doing after that whole mess a few months back?" I said as we sipped some of their homemade cider.

"It's the quiet that bugs us. AB used to always be going on about something. But it hurts like hell that she felt she couldn't talk to me." AJ said after a moment, her voice thick with emotion.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about how things turned out." I said.

She shook her head. "Not much you could have done Talisman. Maybe if you had been here a month or two before hand since you cottoned onto who could be doing it so quick, but you saved Sunset and that is a damn fine thing in my book." She said.

I nodded, not having much more to say.

Eventually, we reached the bottom of our glasses.

"Looks like it's time for me to head out." I said as I handed her my glass. "If you need anything, even if it is just to talk, feel free to call." I said.

Applejack smiled and gave me a hug.

"Thank you. I'll probably take you up on that sometime." She said.

After that I headed home.

* * *

After a shower, I collapsed into bed.

"Long day?" Sunset asked.

I nodded into my pillow.

I felt the mattress shift and a weight settled across my hips. I started to raise up when I felt Sunset's hands on my shoulders.

I groaned as she worked out the knots in my shoulders and back.

After she finished my back she moved onto my legs, eliciting a sound of contentment from me.

"Feeling better?" She asked as she moved back to her spot.

"Very much so. Thank you." I said, leaning up and giving her a kiss.

"You're welcome." She said as she went back to reading.

I smiled and moved so I could rest my head in her lap.

We stayed that way for a while, Sunset running her fingers through my hair as I drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

I whistled to myself as I walked towards CHS. The girls were hosting a carwash to raise money for the Camp Everfree trip. Having just found out that we were having the fundraiser last week, I was unable to cancel my trip through the portal to visit the Equestrian Rarity.

Approaching the school, I waved to the girls who were already hard at work.

"Mornin' girls! Having fun yet?" I asked with a smile as I walked up to where they had set up for the day.

"Loads." Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her eyes.

We all chuckled at her reluctance to get up earlier than she had to.

"So, off to see the Princess?" Sunset asked.

"The Enchantress actually, but yes I supposed I will see a princess or two while I am there." I replied sweeping her into a hug.

"Well have fun." Sunset replied. "Try not to set anyone on fire." She added.

I rolled my eyes. "That happened once! And her hair has grown back nicely! Hasn't it Rainbow Dash?" I said in exasperation.

"Yup! No big deal, and I learned not to spook you when you have those bracelets on." Dash replied with a chuckle.

"See, no hard feelings. Besides, my magic might not even work on that side of the portal." I replied, wrapping my arm around Sunset's shoulders. "By the way, where is Twilight?" I asked.

Sunset pointed at the bus stop, where Twilight had just gotten off the bus.

We all waved and called out to here as she hurried across the street.

"Hi girls! Everything ready?" She asked once she got close to us.

"Yup, though Talisman is ducking out on us." Applejack drawled.

"Hey, I had planned this weeks ago. Kinda hard to cancel plans for things across realities. Plus, ask Rarity how upset she would be if someone cancelled at the last minute when she had planned a good chunk of her day around them." I replied.

"She's right Applejack." Rarity replied. "I would be most upset if a client were to cancel at the last minute and I don't have my own business like my counterpart does. Not to mention the fact that she apparently has celebrity clients that she designs for. Anyone who delays working on those projects due to a no show would be on a blacklist." She said.

At that, I bid my friends goodbye and headed to the statue containing the portal with Sunset and Twilight.

"So you'll be back tomorrow?" Sunset asked.

I nodded. "Barring any unforeseen issues, yes. If something comes up, I will let you know." I said giving her a hug and a kiss.

"Did you pack a camera?" Twilight asked.

"I did. Both video and still cameras. I also have extra batteries for both. Charged them yesterday." I replied, sweeping her into a hug and giving her a kiss as well, causing her to blush and Sunset to smile.

Stepping back, I smiled at the pair and said, "See ya tomorrow."

Turning towards the statue, I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the surface, causing it to ripple. With one last glance at my girlfriends, I smiled and winked before stepping through the portal.

The transition was interesting to say the least. I would probably compare it to the pulling of taffy. On the other side my now bare feet hit the crystal floor of Princess Twilight's castle.

"Talisman?" I hear as I blink the spots from my eyes.

Looking around, I spot Twilight standing in front of me in a modest gown.

"Hi ya Twilight. How are you today?" I asked with a wave, making note of the fact I now have a tail and my ears have relocated to the top of my head.

"A little surprised actually." She replied.

"Oh, and why is that?" I asked.

She merely pointed at the mirror behind me that served as the Equestrian side of the portal.

Turning, my jaw dropped as I took in my reflection.

"Huh, looks like Fluttershy won that bet." I said.

Rather than a pony, I had been turned into a bipedal wolf. My fur was brown and grey, with the longer head fur in the warrior braid I had put it in this morning now a two tone brown and grey as well. My clothing hadn't changed much, with a hole in my skirt for my tail, which came down to just past my knees, and my knee high socks ended just above my paws and had a small hole at my 'ankles'.

Turning this way and that, I nodded.

"Unexpected, but not a bad look." I said before turning to Twilight.

The alicorn shook herself.

"It is unexpected, but I think it is fitting from what I know about you from meeting you and Sunset's letters." She said with a smile.

I smiled back, careful not to bare my now very aggressive looking fangs.

"So, I do believe that Rarity is expecting me?" I said.

Soon we were walking through the streets of Ponyville towards the Carousel Boutique. Many of the ponies were giving me wary looks, not that I was surprised. I was a six foot tall wolf. But the sight of me talking and joking with Twilight set most of them at ease as they returned to their business.

Upon reaching Rarity's shop, I looked askance at the building, shaking my head before following Twilight in, where we were greeted by the proprietor.

"Hello Twilight, and who is this?" Rarity asked.

"This is Talisman. She is from the world where Sunset lives." Twilight replied.

"Hello Miss Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you." I said offering my hand, giving the mare a gentle handshake.

"A pleasure darling. So what is it that I can do for you today? Twilight mentioned you needed some clothing enchanted." Rarity said.

"Well, what has Twilight told you about me?" I asked as I set my bag down on the floor.

"Other than you were able to help Sunset with the nastiness that was going on and that you have your own unique brand of magic." Rarity replied.

"Well, believe it or not, I started out as male. However after an offhand comment by Sunset I started crossdressing. The best we can figure is that my magic decided to adjust my body to fit my new persona, but left me with my male bits. So the request is to enchant my undergarments and some swimwear so that it fits better and there is no visible bulge." I replied, smirking internally as Rarity and Twilight's cheeks reddened through their fur.

Rarity coughed lightly to clear her throat. "I see. Do you have the items you wish to have enchanted?" She asked.

"I do." I said as I kneeled down and opened my bag to pull out a smaller bag with everything that I needed to have enchanted, as well as a smaller bag.

"Here are all the clothes that I need to have enchanted. Also, could you add an enchantment for durability as well? Clothing tends to wear out after a few months of washing and wearing, even when you rotate them out." I inquired.

"Certainly darling." Rarity said as she moved over to her work area and began pulling the underwear and swimsuits from the bag. "I have actually made a few garments like this for stallions that embrace their feminine side." She added.

"Like Big Macintosh?" Twilight said with a smile.

"Twilight darling, you know that I don't discuss the private requests of clients." Rarity said in a chastising tone.

I looked at Twilight. "Sounds like quite a story there." I said.

Twilight nodded and told me about the last Sisterhooves Social that had occurred while Applejack was away and 'Cousin Tangerine' had showed up.

I shook my head with a smile. "Having met the Big Mac on the other side of the portal, I find that hard to visualize. Still hilarious though." I said before turning to Rarity. "Now, since I know that time as a business owner, especially in your field, is valuable. I asked Sunset about the different precious metals that are available and their relative values. So I brought a kilogram of platinum as payment." I said as I set the smaller bag on the table, the ingots inside clinking slightly.

Rarity's widened as she moved over and opened the bag.

"Talisman, I can't accept this. This is a small fortune here." She said, her voice faint.

I smiled. "So much like your counterpart." I said as I placed my hands on hers, gently pushing them down onto the bag of precious metal. "I was told that you recently opened a new location in Canterlot. Given what Sunset told me, platinum is even rarer here than it is on our side of the portal. I myself am not hurting for money due to a very well invested trust fund and my parent's investments before they passed. While this is a lot of money, I spread out the purchases to ease the pain. If you won't accept it as payment, then think of it as an investment." I said.

"An investment?" Rarity asked.

I nodded before walking over to a dress form. "You do marvelous work Rarity. Both of you do really, though your work shows your experience, which isn't all that surprising given that you are several years older than your counterpart and have had time to perfect your trade. Magic helps as well I would assume." I said. "Think of it this way. An investment such as this will allow you to buy the shop in Canterlot outright and not have a lease or a note from the bank over your head. Then you can open up other boutiques in other major cities where you would have a clientele." I further explained.

Rarity smiled as her eyes glistened. "Thank you. That is one of the things that I worry about. This will certainly ease my stress and worries." She said walking around to give me a hug which I readily returned.

I smiled after we separated. "Well, unless you have anymore questions, I think Twilight and I will get out of your mane so you can work." I said.

"There is one thing darling." Rarity said, an appraising look in her eye.

"Measurements?" I asked.

"Measurements." She said firmly.

I shook my head and followed Rarity behind a divider and she took my measurements.

After I redressed, I headed to my bag and pulled out my still camera.

"Rarity, would you mind if I took your photo? My friends are wanting to see what you all look like over here." I said, holding up the camera.

"Certainly darling." Rarity replied.

Smiling I turned on the camera and snapped a couple of photos of the fashionista.

As I put the camera away, Rarity spoke up.

"Talisman, how do I compare to the Rarity on the other side of the portal?" She inquired.

I smiled as I pulled out a few photos that I had printed up.

"Well for starters, as I said you are older than her by several years, which gives you a fair bit more maturity than her. You have taken you knocks and sprung back from them. She has a few more years to get to your level." I said as I showed her a photo of her counterpart. "As far as physically, you are taller than her and as you can see, you have more defined curves than she does. But she is still growing and developing physically, so she could catch up to you. In short, you are both very beautiful women who anyone would be lucky to be with." I said.

"Laying it on a bit thick, are we?" Rarity said with a raise eyebrow and a smile.

I shrugged. "Maybe, but it is the truth." I replied.

After leaving Rarity's, we headed to the market, where we met Applejack and Big Mac.

"Howdy Twilight! Who is this?" The farmer greeted.

"The name's Talisman Stryke. Pleased to meet you." I said giving the earth pony a firm handshake.

"Nice ta meet ya too Talisman. Where are ya from?" She asked.

"Through the portal. I had need of Rarity's enchanting services and came to see her." I replied as I perused her produce.

Applejack's eyes widened. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be here sugarcube?" She asked worriedly.

"Shouldn't be an issue unless I run into a counterpart that was sent to this world like I was to the other world." I replied. "Given the circumstances, I should be a unique individual in both worlds."

Applejack nodded. "That's a relief. Twilight said it would be a bad idea for us to go there and for them to come here, and I believe her." She said, tilting her stetson back.

I nodded. "Goddess forbid there are two Pinkie Pies in one place. One is hard enough to keep up with." I said, noting a shudder that passed through the three. "That's happened here I take it?"

They nodded.

"My condolences to your sanity." I said. "Moving on, do you mind if I get a couple of pictures?" I said patting the camera that hung around my neck.

"That's a camera?" Applejack asked.

I nodded. "Cameras have come a long way on the other side. They come smaller than this, but I find this style takes a better photo. Also, they don't use film anymore outside of certain fields that still use it." I said as I pulled out the memory card. "This little card can store several thousand photos that you can print out from home. The girls were wanting to see what this world is like and how you all looked. So I said I would get some pictures." I said as I put the card back into the camera.

"Well, don't that beat all. Sure, you can take some pictures. I admit though that I am curious myself." Applejack said as I snapped a couple of pictures of her and Big Mac.

I pulled out the photo album and turned to some of the pictures of Applejack and her family, minus Applebloom, at their farm.

"Where is Applebloom? Twilight said there was one there." Applejack asked, noting the missing girl.

I sighed and explained the situation.

"Stars above and I thought the Gabby Gums thing was bad. How long are they gonna be locked up?" Applejack asked.

I shrugged. "It depends. They keep their noses clean and behave themselves, they might get out before they turn eighteen. Depends upon the judge." I replied. We chatted for a few more minutes before we headed towards Sugarcube Corner, me snapping pictures and Twilight providing a commentary as we walked along.

Entering the bakery, I made sure to get plenty of photos of the outside, a bell rang over the door.

Looking around, I could instantly see the difference from our after school hang out. Polished wooden floors and hand crafted tables and chairs adorned the space and a tasteful wallpaper covered the walls.

"Good afternoon Princess Twilight. Who's your friend?" The stallion at the counter, Carrot Cake I presumed, said.

"Good afternoon Mr. Cake. This is Talisman. She is from out of town." Twilight said.

"Well hello Miss Talisman. See anything you like?" He said, gesturing to the display case.

I looked at Twilight, with a raised eyebrow.

"Go ahead Talisman. I can just use the fund for visiting dignitaries that I have for expenses." She said with a smile.

I nodded. "Let me get one of those cinnamon rolls and a cappuccino then." I said gesturing to the pastry and the menu board.

"Coming right up." Mr. Cake said as he set to work.

After Twilight ordered and we got our food and drinks, we sat down in one of the booths.

"So what do you think of Equestria so far Talisman?" Twilight asked as she nibbled on her danish.

I pulled off part of the cinnamon roll with my claws and ate it before replying.

"Its nice. The air is a whole lot cleaner than it is back home. I can actually breathe deep and not smell the pollution. That and everyone is friendly here. Most of the time there is just this haze of indifference with humans unless you are close to someone." I replied.

"I noticed that too when I have gone through. So how has the change been treating you?" Twilight asked.

I grimaced. "Well, first off, it was a very uncomfortable experience. One's anatomy rearranging and bones changing configuration is never fun. Also the first few monthly cycles were unpleasant." I said.

Twilight cocked her head to the side. "Monthly cycles?" She asked.

I looked at her strangely for a moment before Sunset's explanation on the different physiologies came back.

"Ah, that's right. Mares have estrus rather than menstruation. Be glad. Sunset has told me what estrus can be like and I have to say, being randy for a few days would be preferable to bleeding out of my crotch for a week every month." I grumbled.

"That makes no sense." Twilight said.

"That is what I said. It is a horrible survival adaptation. Not to mention unpleasant. Because it isn't fresh blood, no it is partially dried and clotted blood coming out of you." I groused.

Twilight stared at me, mouth agape, before looking at her danish, cherry as luck would have it, and pushed the plate away.

"Sorry for putting you off your snack. But you did ask, and if you were ever to come over for long enough for the hormones to settle, you would have to deal with it. Of course nature decides to be hilarious and cause groups of women that are in close proximity to each other to sync up their cycles. So you can imagine how the house is during that time of the month for Sunset and I." I said.

Twilight shuddered, remembering Sunset's acerbic personality when she is annoyed.

Before Twilight could reply, I sensed a disturbance in the Force, causing me to snap off a Barrier spell on reflex.

I was rewarded with a thunk and the sound of a squeaky toy oddly enough.

Turning, I saw Pinkie Pie sitting on the floor, her eyes spinning before she shook her head.

"That was mean." She said with a pout on her face.

I smiled. "Comes from spending an average of six hours a day, five days a week, for about seven months out of the year around the Pinkie on the other side of the portal. She has made a game of it. Even did a 'death from above' a couple of times. Still can't figure out how she did it." I said, shaking my head.

"Ooooohhh. Okay, I can understand that. So who are you?" Pinkie asked as she zipped to the space next to Twilight.

"Name is Talisman Stryke. Nice to meet you." I said, taking a sip of my drink, sticking my tongue out as it had gotten cold. Channeling energy into my Fire materia had the drink warmed back up.

"That was cool. How did you do that?" Pinkie asked.

I held up my wrist and pointed to the green marble.

"Fire Materia. It has a multitude of uses besides throwing fireballs at people who annoy me." I said before taking a drink.

"Really? Why would you do that?" Twilight asked.

"Trixie." I replied as I finished the last of my cinnamon roll.

"Trixie? As in the 'Great and Powerful Trixie'?" Pinkie asked.

I nodded. "She has taken offense to my abilities with magic, not realizing that they are mostly combat focused spells, and has taken to harassing me with various cantrips." I said.

"Like what?" Pinkie said.

"Oh, drinks switched with spring loaded snakes, my hair was blue for a week one time, more annoyances. I tried to ignore it until she some how made my voice sound like I was walking around with a cloud of helium around me. Since then it has been her pranking me in some way and I throw fireballs at her." I said. "I may have also frozen her in a block of ice from the neck down."

Twilight and Pinkie looked at me with shock.

"I thought magic didn't exist on your world." Twilight said.

"I think it does, but only certain people gain access to it. There might have been enough bleed through of Equestrian magic that some people in certain areas are born with the ability. Or it could be that someone that Starswirl chucked through the portal had kids with the natives. Or Starswirl himself went over for a bit and fathered a few sprogs every so often." I said.

Twilight sputtered at this. "But, how? Why?"

I shrugged. "I was reading some old legends on day and found the story of a wizard called Merlin. We had a similar story on my original world. But after Sunset told me about Starswirl, I think the legends about Merlin are him coming to our world." I replied.

At this bombshell, Twilight seemed to shut down, as though her view of the world had shattered. Pinkie and I looked at each other and shrugged before she said she had to get back to work.

Saying goodbye to her, I helped a catatonic Twilight stand up and lead her back towards her castle.

As we were heading back, I heard a quiet "Oh, my."

Turning, I see a butter yellow pegasus mare that could only be Fluttershy.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"I may have presented a theory about Starswirl that broke her. She should be fine in a bit though." I said. "My name's Talisman Stryke. Fluttershy, right?"

She nodded shyly, her mane falling to cover half her face.

I smiled. "Care to assist me in getting her back to the castle?" I asked.

"Oh, of course." She said, moving to take Twilight's other arm and we continued towards the castle.

"So where are you from Talisman? I've never seen anyone like you before." Fluttershy inquired.

"I'm from the other side of the portal where Sunset Shimmer lives. I came here to get some clothes enchanted by Rarity." I said as we entered the castle. "As far as the form I took, not sure. Though I am not complaining. A wolf seems to fit me."

As we walked Twilight into a sitting room, a dragon with purple and green scales came around the corner with a rainbow maned pegasus.

"Twilight!" They both called out.

Fluttershy and I quickly explained the situation, prompting the dragon, Spike as I found out, to shake his head while Rainbow Dash fell out of the air laughing.

We spent the rest of the evening talking until Twilight came out of her stupor.

"Talisman, I hate you for ruining the image of my idol." She said with a glare, causing all of us to laugh.


	15. Chapter 15

I stepped through the mirror portal with a smile on my face, I took a deep breath and let it out. My trip to Equestria and meeting the counterparts of my friends and one of my girlfriends had been interesting and enlightening.

Smile still on my face, I smoothed my skirt and headed home.

A scant fifteen minutes later I reached the house that Sunset and I shared. Looking in the driveway, I saw that Sunset's motorcycle, a nice cruiser model, was gone. Realizing my girlfriend was probably at work I headed into the house.

After locking the door, I headed to the bedroom and unpacked the modified clothes and put them away.

That done, I walked around the house doing some general tidying up, a glass here, loose papers there, and a couple of DVDs that were left on the table were all put in there place.

As I looked around the living room, I was shaken from my musings as a window shattered and a black cylinder came flying in with the glass.

Suddenly the device detonated in mid air, the flash blinding me as I staggered back, my ears ringing.

I shook my head to clear the spots from my eyes. I was able to see the silhouettes of figures kicking in the door. As I staggered towards them, I felt impacts on my thighs and stomach.

Looking down, I saw six darts sticking out from my skin.

My head began swimming as the massive dose of tranquilizers began to take hold, the dosage overwhelming the Mako in my veins.

I tried to fight back as the figures grabbed me, but my movements were sluggish and clumsy from the effects of the drugs.

I was forced to the ground as I felt the zip cuffs tightening on my wrists and a bag was pulled over my head.

My last conscious thought was for Sunset and Twilight.

* * *

I awoke sometime later in a cell of some kind. Without moving, I delved into the lessons from survival school. The cadre might have been right bastards to all of us, but they had reason for their cruelty. The lessons would save our lives if we were captured.

A few quick twitches of my limbs showed that I had all of my extremities and a bit of soreness showed that my handling had been a bit rough. Thankfully, I was still wearing the outfit I had been wearing and my Materia still sang against my skin.

I smirked internally at the foolishness of my captors as I channeled a low level Cure spell to heal any bruising and purge any remnants of the sedative they had hit me with.

Slowly opening my eyes, I took in the room I had been placed in as I sat up.

The room was about ten by ten, generous space for a cell. A heavy steel door, most likely reinforced, stood against the wall. Looking towards the ceiling, I spotted likely places for hidden cameras.

Again smirking internally, I formed a wicked plan.

I sauntered up to on of the cameras, exaggerating the sway of my hips as I loosened the tie from around my neck and began to unbutton the top of my blouse, exposing some cleavage.

Putting a sultry smile on my face, I looked at the camera with lidded eyes.

"You didn't need to go to all this trouble to show me that you noticed me senpai." I said out loud, for once very thankful that Rarity seemed to enjoy making Japanese schoolgirl themed outfits for me.

My sensitive ears picked up the sound of boots pounding on the floor of the hallway outside my cell.

Smirking, I fixed my clothes, neatly adjusting my tie as two soldiers in black uniforms and body armor with helmets and full face shields entered the cell.

"About time." I said smirk fixed in place. "I have always wanted to say this: Take me to your leader."

* * *

I was handcuffed with traditional steel cuffs and taken to another room when they connected the cuffs to a eye hook in the center of a steel table and forced me down into an uncomfortable steel chair.

My smirk stayed in place as I waited. The two soldiers had stayed in the room, and were currently standing a couple of feet behind me as I looked at the door.

Feeling a bit froggy, I decided to unnerve the men in the room and the ones listening from the observation room.

Pitching my voice to a more ethereal pitch, I began to speak.

"Tick, tock. Tick, tock." I said, moving my head side to side with each word.

"Hear the seconds tick away, slipping through your fingers, like wisps of smoke from a fire." I said, eyes locked on the door.

"Feel the dread in your soul as the wind howls outside the window while you cower in the dying light." I continued, hearing the men behind me shuffle a bit, the rasp of their ballistic vests on their uniforms betraying their mounting nervousness.

"Hear the crunch of stone on the path to your door. Hear the scratching at your door." I said, my smirk turning blood thirsty and my eyes becoming catlike slits as they began to glow with power.

"Hear the rasp of my blade as it is drawn from its sheath, hear the steel singing for your blood." I said as I turned let my head fall back and to the side, my gaze meeting one of the cameras.

"Feel the terror coursing through you veins as I knock down your door. Feel the ice clench your heart as you look upon my visage, steel in hand as my cloak billows in the wind. You shake as I approach, my heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. I can taste your fear as you watch me, the instrument of your destruction, approach. I raise my blade and with naught a moment's hesitation bring it down upon you, cleaving you head from your shoulders. Your body falls, and I turn to leave. Reaching the threshold, I turn to the room once more, a flick of my wrist removing the blood from my steel before it is sheathed once more. A raised hand, a whispered word of power, and fire appears in my hand, flowing out into the room, igniting all it touches. Turning again, I leave the house, drawing up my hood as I walk away, your home turning to ash and dust on the wind."

As I finished, the door slammed open. A man in fatigues entered the room.

A quick glance at his eyes showed that despite his outward appearance, he was as unnerved as the men behind me.

"Hello, what can I do for you General?" I purred out, my voice husky and dripping with power.

"You can start by telling us how you got the power you have." He said, his eyes widening slightly as I guessed his rank, despite there being no insignia on the uniform.

I smirked. "I was granted these powers by fate and happenstance. The circumstances are not ones that can be replicated." I replied.

"I'll be the judge of that." The man replied tersely.

"So you wish to plunge this world into a nuclear winter for a chance to gain power that you are not worthy of? That is how I came to be in this world and be granted these powers." I replied, my lips twisting in a sadistic smile.

"Hmph, so that is your story then? Sure you want to stick with that?" He asked.

My eyes flicked towards the open door where I saw two more soldiers standing outside.

Smile still in place, I cocked my head at the man.

"This is an off the books operation isn't it? You tried to go through the normal chain of command and were told to stay the hell away from me. But you saw my abilities and you wanted them for you own." I said, my hands clenching into fists as I began to pull at the cuffs, the metal biting into my wrists as I did so.

The man's silence was as good as admitting his guilt out loud.

"So you would sacrifice your men on this?" I said, shaking my head as I chuckled darkly. "Boyo, you have no idea the hell you have just wrought upon you and your men." I said before I _pulled_ my wrists apart, snapping the metal like it was cheap plastic.

The two guards behind me who were on edge still jumped to restrain me.

I grabbed the one to the right, and spinning, I drove his face into the edge of the table, the face shield shattering before the bones of his face turned to powder from the force.

Rolling over his back, I grabbed the shoulders of his vest pulling his body on top of mine preventing his fellows from shooting.

This gave me the time to pull the dead man's side arm from its holster and fire.

The soldier in the room and the two that had come in from the hall each took a round to the face, the rounds easily piercing the face shields. The General took a round to each knee cap.

As the man groaned in pain, I rolled the corpse off of me and stripped the vest and weapons off of it.

Reloading the pistol and holstering it, I quickly checked the rifle and ensured that it was loaded and there was a round in the chamber.

Kneeling down, I grabbed the man's chin and forced him to look me in the eye.

"The blood of these men is on your hands. If the rest lay down arms and let me leave unmolested and turn themselves into the next level of command, I will spare them." I said.

"And if they don't?" He asked, pain leaking into his voice.

"Then they die." I said as emotion drained from my face as I stood.

As I walked out of the room, I heard the radio on the vest crackle to life.

" _Attention all personnel, the prisoner is escaping. Eliminate her with extreme prejudice."_

I shook my head. Some people never learn.

The room was at the end of the hallway with a dead end to the right. Carefully looking to the other end, I saw soldiers begin to make their way down the hall.

I charged up and threw out an overpowered Firaga spell. There was an explosion of fire and heat as the spell hit home. Most of the men barely had a chance to scream before they were immolated or killed by their ammunition and grenades cooking off.

Ensuring I had gathered what ammunition I could carry, I made my way through the halls of the building.

As I walked, I keyed the radio on my vest.

"Total slaughter  
Total slaughter  
I won't leave  
A single man alive  
La dee da dee die  
Gen-o-cide  
La dee da dee die  
A ocean of blood

Let's begin the killing time." I sang out, my voice sounding much better than Vash's.

As I stalked the corridors, I heard men scrambling. A few ran out of rooms as I approached, firing blindly at me. I dropped them with barely a thought, only feeling the recoil of the rifle bucking into my shoulder.

I eventually found the control room, which was empty. Looking around I found a bag and began shoving documents and hard drives into it. Slinging the bag over my shoulders, I left the room to continue my dread work.

After a few more minutes, I found the exit. Carefully looking outside, I saw many of the men climbing into vehicles and fleeing. Performing a quick check for any injuries and casting a few healing spells to repair them, I stepped outside.

A few men remained, but they threw down their weapons as I approached.

"Vehicle, now." I commanded.

One pointed a shaking finger at a tactical vehicle across the way.

I nodded and walked over to it. After doing a walk around and opening the doors to check for booby traps, I stowed the bag of intel, got in the vehicle and started the engine.

Grabbing the map I had found, I checked the position of the facility I was at and located Canter City. I was over a hundred and fifty miles away.

Checking the fuel gauge, I was pleased to see the tank was full.

Putting the truck into gear, I drove off.

* * *

It was getting dark when I reached the house.

I had to park on the street due to the amount of vehicles in front of it. I recognized Applejack's truck, Rarity's sedan, Fluttershy's hybrid and Aegis's police cruiser.

Shutting off the truck, I grabbed the bag of intel and the rifle I had taken and walked up to the house.

The window that had been shattered by the flashbang had been boarded up with a heavy sheet of plywood. I sighed as I walked inside.

I walked into the living room and saw a host of distraught faces.

Sunset and Twilight were holding each other on the couch while the girls comforted them.

Twilight's parents and her brother were off to one side, speaking quietly with each other.

Sunset's eyes lifted and she saw me as I entered, she nudged Twilight.

"Talisman!" They both cried out as they practically teleported across the room to embrace me.

I dropped the bag and rifle and embraced the pair tightly as they sobbed into my chest.

Looking to Aegis I asked. "How long was I missing?"

"Nearly two days. What happened?" She asked.

I related the story to them quickly.

"There is a map in the bag that has the location of the facility marked on it. I grabbed as much intel as I could before I left. That should help deal with the situation." I replied.

Aegis nodded and collected the bag and the rifle before heading out to her car.

I gently separated Sunset and Twilight away from me so I could remove the vest and set it on the floor.

Once I did so, I pulled the girls tightly to me.

"I'm sorry that I worried you. The bastards caught me flat footed with that flashbang." I said as I rubbed their backs.

"I know you did what you could. I'm just glad you're safe." Sunset said.

"Me too. I was so worried about you." Twilight added.

After a bit, Twilight's family said goodnight and headed home.

I went and took a shower to was the last couple of days away. After getting dressed in my night clothes, I went into the bedroom and found Sunset and Twilight on the bed, leaving a space for me in the middle. The rest of the girls were arrayed around the bed in sleeping bags on the floor.

I smiled as I climbed in between my two girls. As I pulled them close, Fluttershy was kind enough to hit the light.

There were a few murmured goodnights as everyone settled down to sleep. I smiled again at the group of friends that I had as I kissed my two girlfriends goodnight.

I settled down to sleep, fully expecting a few nightmares that night, but with my two ladies next to me, I was able to settle into a peaceful slumber.


	16. Chapter 16

I awoke the next morning still cuddled between Sunset and Twilight. Though it appeared that hands had wandered during the night as they both had a hand under my shirt and were lightly gripping my breasts.

I smiled slightly before letting out a quiet moan as Sunset's hand shifted over my nipple.

" _I could get used to waking up like this. Though we need to get a larger bed."_ I thought to myself before lightly running my fingers along the two girls hips.

"Time to get up sleeping beauties." I said quietly, causing them to stir.

Both of them slowly opened their eyes and blinked a couple of times before I felt both their hands squeeze. Their eyes widened and they quickly pushed away, causing them to roll of the bed with a pair of thumps.

I chuckled a bit as I sat up and straightened up my top.

"Just so you know, I don't mind wandering hands." I said as I looked between the blushing pair, causing their blushes to deepen.

Laughing, I wiggled myself out from under the covers and carefully got out of bed, maneuvering around the still sleeping Rainbow Dash to get to my closet.

Changing, I stepped back out and saw Sunset and Twilight leaving the room. Following them, we made our way to the kitchen where Applejack and Pinkie were making a nice spread for breakfast.

"Mornin' lovebirds. Hope y'all are hungry." Applejack said.

My stomach took the opportunity to speak up, rumbling loudly.

"Just a bit." I said, a slight blush dusting my cheeks.

Something that I have noticed since my unplanned transition to being mostly female. I tend to have quite a few more feminine responses to things like embarrassment.

"So how did your trip go?" Rarity asked from where she was sketching something, a new design most likely.

"Not bad. Did lose an outfit though." I replied, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

Her pencil stopped. "You were wearing one of my designs, correct?" She asked as she pierced me with a glare over her glasses.

I nodded nervously.

"How, pray tell, did you lose your outfit? Fighting someone?" She asked.

"Actually yes. But the outfit wasn't torn. We just couldn't get the smell out of it. Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia and Rarity tried. No magic could get rid of it." I explained.

"What did you fall into?" Sunset asked.

"Nothing. It is more of what I got sprayed with." I replied, my blush deepening at the memory of what happened.

I got some curious looks. "Get Dash up and coherent. I only want to have to tell this story once." I said with a sigh as I began to help myself to some of the breakfast that Applejack and Pinkie had made.

* * *

Soon everyone was up and coherent and sitting in the living room. I had a cup of tea in my hands and was desperately wishing for something stronger.

"So everything was going well. I had met all the girls, met a few other ponies in town, and we were at Princess Twilight's godawful eyesore of a crystal tree-castle thing. I swear the only thing that saved the property values was that it was a royal palace. Anyways, Rarity had just brought over my enchanted clothes and we were having a nice party when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna showed up." I said before taking a sip of my tea.

I looked at Fluttershy. "You win the pot by the way. I was a wolf anthro. Apparently a race that had been extinct and removed from the history books for a little over fifteen hundred years." I explained.

Sunset gasped. "You were a Fenrir?" She asked, eyes wide.

I nodded. "Yup, no one freaked out though until Luna locked eyes with me, called me a foul cur and pulled a friggin zweihander out of nowhere and charges. I barely summoned the fusion sword to block her first strike." I replied.

"What happened next?" Rainbow Dash asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"We traded blows, Twilight and Celestia tried to calm her down, it didn't work. So I hit her with an overpowered Firaga. Turns out that the Princesses have need of enchanted undergarments as well." I replied.

"Wait, what?" Pinkie asked, confusion on her face.

"Luna's dress burned off and all of the sudden, there was over a foot of hot, throbbing horsecock flapping in the breeze. Then I ice blocked her, like I do with Trixie if she gets to annoying. In hindsight, I should have iced her horn as well because she melted the ice." I replied. "So I hit her with a supremely overpower Thundraga. Apparently combined with the soaking wet fur, it was enough to overcome the pegasus resistance to lightning. And it also caused her to ejaculate. With the force of a firehose and a comparable volume." I added.

Jaws dropped at this.

"So yeah, there I was, stuck to the wall looking like a goddamn doughnut. Straight up frosted me like a cupcake. Took three long, hot showers to get the smell out of my fur. The outfit unfortunately was a total loss." I said.

"What happened with Luna?" Fluttershy asked.

I chuckled awkwardly. "Started calling me Mistress and begged me to stay." I said with an embarrassed smile.

"What?" Came Sunset's flat reply.

"I know right? She latched herself on me for the rest of the night and Celestia and the girls had to physically restrain her so I could leave. I even told her that I was already in a relationship, but she was quite adamant about me being her dom." I replied. "It was weird as hell."

"I can imagine. Why do you think she did that?" Rarity asked.

"The only thing I can think of is that she respects power and has a lust for battle. Probably the only one that has been able to meet her as an equal is her sister and I doubt very much she is into that. It could also be that she apparently has a masochistic streak a mile wide, given that she got off from being electrocuted. All in all, I got extremely lucky in that fight. It could have gone a lot worse." I replied with a slight shudder of how bad things could have gone.

"So what exactly is going to happen?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Just if you happen to be passing by the school, keep an eye out for someone that looks like Vice-Principal Luna and is looking around very confused. Basically like Princess Twilight when she first came here apparently." I replied.

"Do you really think she would come through looking for you?" Fluttershy asked.

I shrugged. "Depends. From what I understand, she hadn't been all that _active_ prior to her banishment. Since her return and subsequent purging of the Nightmare, well things haven't really changed. Though now it is because nopony wants to really get to know her and the ones that do, mostly her Night Guard, have too much reverence to even consider being intimate with her. Not to mention the fact that even before I zapped the hell out of her, I could tell just from the look on her face that even though she was pissed, she was enjoying herself during the fight." I answered.

Sunset looked at me before shaking her head ruefully. "Only you Talisman, only you."

I chuckled. "I know right?" I replied before pulling her and Twilight into a hug. "But you know what? I am more than happy with just the two of you. I have zero desires for a full fledged harem."

Sunset and Twilight beamed at that and hugged me tightly.

"Damn that was smooth." Dash commented, causing all of us to laugh.


	17. Chapter 17

Camp Everfree.

According to the brochures, it is an idyllic camping ground that has been family run for the better part of fifty years after they opened up land of the family farm. A nice lake to take a boat out on to enjoy the scenery or go fishing.

Trees and mountains surround the campground, allowing one to return to nature.

Of course, the brochures fail to mention that apparently the owners have gotten into debt with the bank and are on the verge of losing their family's legacy.

They also don't mention that one of the counselors had found some magical gems that have turned her into some sort of Poison Ivy-esque magical villain that wants to keep us all here forever so the camp won't be turned into a luxury resort for yuppies and hipsters.

I don't want to see that either, but there are better ways to go about it. But it seems that Gloriosa has decided to go bad guy to protect what is hers.

Hence why I am currently dodging vines that are trying to trap everyone while hacking away at the ones heading towards my classmates.

"Gloriosa! I know that this places means a lot to you and your brother and that Filthy Rich is probably in the running for the world's biggest dick, but all this is going to do is wind up with you either in prison or dead and you'll lose the camp either way!" I yelled out as I sent a fireball at a group of vines about to grab Lyra and Bon Bon.

"There is no other way! This camp is ours! No one will take it from us!" Gloriosa yelled, running high on the power of the gems.

I was about to reply when vines grabbed me from behind and yanked me back, causing me to drop the Fusion Sword. More vines restrained me, some thorns digging into my skin, causing me to grunt and forcing me to divert my focus to my cure materia to keep from getting torn apart, rendering me unable to use my offensive materia.

I looked around and saw Rarity defending a group of students with her new shield ability as Rainbow Dash and Applejack did their best to get others out of the way.

Hearing dull thumps, I turned my head the other way and saw Pinkie defending Fluttershy and some other classmates with her exploding sprinkles until she was knocked back and dropped the container which promptly exploded.

Then suddenly, I wasn't at Camp Everfree. I was back on Earth, in some little village in Afghanistan. I was wounded and could only watch as my squad was fighting for our lives as our medic was patching me up the best she could.

I don't know how long I was in the flashback, but the next thing I knew, the scene bled back to camp and Sunset and Twilight were kneeling next to me calling my name.

I took a great shuddering breath as I returned to reality.

I barely took note of the new outfits that Sunset and Twilight had on as I was pulled into a hug by the pair. I wrapped my arms around them tightly and fought to keep the tears at bay.

"Talisman, are you okay?" Sunset asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Flashback." I whispered. "Bad one."

The pair held me tighter.

I don't know what it was that dragged up that memory, but I hadn't had a single flashback or night terror since I had come to this world.

' _Gods above. Please let this be a one time thing. I don't know if I can handle it again.'_ I thought as I embraced my girls.

* * *

Later that night, I was sitting in front of my tent meditating, trying to get myself centered again, when footsteps broke my concentration.

I looked up to see Gloriosa approaching with a bottle in one hand and a pair of glasses in another.

I raised an eyebrow.

"When I came back to myself, I saw what was going on with you and I recognized it as what happened with my grandfather." She said simply. "He served in Vietnam." She clarified.

I nodded.

"I guess you know that I'm not exactly from around here then?" I asked as she poured two glasses from the bottle.

"We told her a bit." Came Sunset's voice. "Just the basics though. It's not our story to tell." She said as her and Twilight sat on either side of me.

I smiled tightly before running my hand through my hair.

"Before I came to this world, I was a soldier. When I 'died', I had been medically retired for almost five years. On my last deployment my squad was ambushed and I was seriously injured. Half a dozen bullet wounds and my right leg took some shrapnel from an IED that kill the two guys that were on that side of the road. The medic and a Specialist dragged me to cover and Doc started patching me up the best she could in the situation. Once backup got there and medivac got us wounded out, half the squad were in bags. I passed out on the helo and woke up in recovery at the CASH. I got transferred a few days later to the big hospital in Germany and spent a couple of months there. My right thigh was pretty chewed up, but thankfully the artery was missed and the nerve damage was minimal." I said, wiping my eyes as moisture leaked out of them. "Once I got back stateside, I had more physical therapy. Spent a lot of time hobbling around with a cane and hopped up on pain meds. I hated it."

"What happened after that?" Twilight asked quietly, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Once my physical therapy was done, the medical retirement paperwork went through. I went from being in the military to being a civilian again. Went to school, got my associates, and found a decent job. Had a few friends, but I didn't really get close to anyone. Didn't really date either. Not a lot of people could get past the scars and the limp. One reason I knew something was up when I woke up here. I wasn't in pain." I said.

"So what changed with letting people in" Gloriosa asked.

"I realized that I had been given a second chance. I wasn't going to waste it by being an unhappy recluse." I replied as I accepted the drink she passed over. I tossed it back and savored the familiar burn of hard liquor. "Not bad. Whiskey?"

Gloriosa nodded. "Local distillery. I'm friends with the owner. He gets me a good deal. I don't drink often though." She replied.

"I didn't either. Mostly because the meds I was on interacted with alcohol. Made that mistake once. Never again." I said with a shudder.

"Bad reaction?" Sunset asked.

"Bad trip is more like it. Shit acted like acid or something. Spent the night tripping balls." I said.

Sunset chuckled a bit, causing me to join in as I handed the glass back to Gloriosa.

"That's all for me. Don't need to get you into trouble for contributing to the delinquency of a minor." I said with a smirk.

The older woman laughed. "Fair enough. You looked like you could use it though." She said after a moment.

I nodded. "Thanks for that." I replied.

She nodded and got up before walking off.

"Are you going to be okay?" Twilight asked.

"Eventually." I said with a sigh.

"Was this what you meant about being low?" Sunset asked quietly.

I nodded. "I had some bad patches. One night I spent an hour staring at a loaded gun on my coffee table before I realized I was being an idiot. Suicide is just a permanent solution to a temporary problem." I said.

Both girls hugged me tightly.

"Do you want us to stay with you tonight?" Sunset asked.

I smiled slightly and nodded.

That night I fell asleep in the arms of my beautiful girls and slept soundly. My dreams weren't of the past, but of the future, with my Phoenix and my Raven at my side.


End file.
